Kibria International Print Fair
A showcase of affordable prints for all
By Bipul K Debnath
It was a spring afternoon in February when artists, critiques, art enthusiasts, students and visitors started to appear at the Zainul Gallery of Dhaka Universitys Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) for the sixth edition of Kibria International Print Fair 2017.
The three-day event, organised by Kibria Print Fair Celebration Committee, attracted thousands of visitors as they could buy print works at affordable prices by local and foreign artists. The fair had 21 stalls, including five featuring foreign artists. The prints on display showed different printmaking techniques like etching, wood cut, engraving, litho and lino.
This is a fair for middle-income people as they never think of buying art at high prices. But at the Kibria print fair, the prices are affordable. Besides buying and selling, it is also an important event to get together and share views among young artists, students and art lovers regarding print-making. That is why we arrange this fair. Some 21 institutions are participating this year. This is the first time that foreign institutions have been invited. They have come from three countries_ Sri Lanka, Nepal, and India. The institutions are _ Printing Department, University of the Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo; Graphics Art Department, Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan; Bindu Space for Artists, Nepal; Multiple Encounter, New Delhi; and Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, Rashid Amin, associate professor of Fine Arts at Jagannath University, said.
The fair is named after Mohammad Kibria, who was a unique painter and professor in the department of print-making at FFA. The artist, who died in 2011, received the Ekushey Padak and Independence Day Award.
This is my first time at Kibria International Print Fair in Dhaka. I have a BA in print-making from Lalitakala College. I am now secretary of Bindu Space for Artists in Nepal. We also arrange a lot of exhibitions in Kathmandu where general people come and get information on print- making. Of course, this fair is important to me as I hope to gather experience and exchange my views on print-making with the visitors, Nepali artist Sharad Darshandhari said.
Another participant, Tonoy Mukherjee, a 3rd year student of Graphics at Kala Bhaban, Visva-Bharati University, said: At first, I want to thank the students and teachers of fine arts department of Dhaka University. I feel really honoured for their hospitality. This Kibria International Print Fair is a wonderful experience for me. The evaluation of prints is really nice here. And I hope that through this fair, the cultural communication between us will be increased.
Nisar Hossain, dean of FFA, told The Weekend Independent: Of course, people want to collect paintings by famous artists. But because of the high prices, they cannot do so. In this regard, graphic prints are the right option for them. It is such a medium where numerous impressions can be made. And those prints are equally as important as the original work. The artist mentions the number of prints taken and the medium, along with his/her own signature at bottom of the print. That is why it is considered as original work around the world. Though we are marking it as print medium, it is an original print because the touch of the artists hand is there. Through this means, even 100 impressions can be possible from one work of art. So, the price of one work is divided into 100. So, the common people have the capacity to buy prints easily. We are trying to ensure that. But it is sad for us that we could not start this before. When we started for the first time, only four studios joined. But this year, thousands of visitors from around the country visited the fair. We give a life-time achievement award to an artist who plays a vital role in promoting print. We also give prizes to young artists at the end of fair.
This year, artist Abul Barak Alvi was honoured with the lifetime achievement award for his creative contributions to print-making. While presenting the award to Alvi at the opening ceremony on February 19, renowned artist and cartoonist Rafiqun Nabi told him that he expected a solo exhibition from him soon.
Besides painting, our artists are thinking of the entire country. This was started through the art practice of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin. He set the direction for the subject matter of the arts in the Subcontinent through his paintings of famine in 1943. He did not see people and art separately. He saw them in an inclusive way. At present, every artist has a responsibility towards society. For that, artists are now involved in every social and cultural movement. When Zainul Abedin established Charukala (now FFA) in Dhaka, he said our duty was to fight against the famine of our taste. Needless to say, he got recognition by depicting hunger, poverty and famine in his paintings. But he gave more importance to removing the drought of taste from the nation. And we are also working towards that. We believe that the huge participation of the general people will make it possible, Nisar Hossain added.
While sharing the background of the print fair, Rashid Amin said: Kibria Printmaking Studio (a project to promote printmaking in Bangladesh) was formed in 2011. Later, we made a plan to arrange print fairs to popularise print-making among the common people. So, the fair started in 2012 and its motto is to ensure affordable prints for all.
Photos: Courtesy
