Hasanul Banna Joy and
Sheikh Iraj

Bangladesh’s art scene has gone through a remarkable change in the past decade. At present, there are many art colleges and galleries in the country to nurture young talents, as well as support various forms of creativity.
Every year, thousands of talented young artists are coming out of different art institutions throughout the country. Apart from those, there are a number of art galleries where both debuting and established artists can showcase their works.
But not long ago, there was a time when even veteran artists struggled to find an appropriate venue to exhibit their artwork, and even faced hurdles to print decent catalogues. The few galleries around only hosted the most famous artists. Thus, promising young artists got little opportunity to present themselves and their creations.
Nowadays, young artists are able to participate in different workshops and exhibitions with the assistance of their mentors. They are also receiving international exposure by participating in various competitions and shows abroad.
It would not be overstating to say that the scope for pursuing the fine arts is much better than ever before. Today’s young artists are also trying to introduce new genres of art through their creativity.
Also, more and more youths are showing interest in taking up fine arts as a career. The country’s art market has changed and there are ample opportunities for good artists to make a decent living. As the sector is growing rapidly, even art students are making money by doing work on commission or selling their art to different collectors, galleries,
organisations and museums. Many also teach in different art schools and colleges.

Kamaluddin

Kamaluddin, 32, is a well-known young artist in the Bangladeshi art arena. He completed his MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) from the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Dhaka University. He is one of the youngest teachers of FFA, DU. At such a young age, the artist has won the prestigious National Award from National Art Exhibition-2011, held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Born in a small village in Cox’s Bazar, his works are influenced by the picturesque views of the seashore and the rural coastal areas. He has a very good hand in portrait painting. Men and nature are predominant features in most of his paintings. He works the motifs of conceptual realistic art on his canvas. He likes to apply every medium on canvas and has a professional hand in all mediums. He has a flair for watercolour and attained recognition for his studies of nature in its different moods as a young artist. Kamaluddin is very optimistic about the present state of art in Bangladesh. He thinks that there are a lot of talented young artists in Bangladeshi art scene and someday they will dominate in international art arena.

Ruhul Amin Tarek

Ruhul Amin Tarek, 30, earned his MFA from Department of Printmaking, FFA, DU. Having lived an extraordinary busy life working in the media, Tarek’s preferred choice of medium is woodcut print. He has exhibited his work in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy a few times. Last year he got Honourable Mention from the 19th Young Artist Art Exhibition 2014 held at Shilpakala Academy. In 2014, Bengal Foundation awarded him residential Scholarship. He stated that young artists face many difficulties to find ways to sell their art. “Initially I used to sell my artworks from exhibitions. Nowadays facebook and personal blogs are the ways to get attention from the buyers.”  
“New creative artists are emerging which is a good sign. But the resources are poor in our country. Printmaking is an alternative art form. Ingredients like plate and ply which are basically imported from China are of low quality. On the other hand, Japanese ply are not available in the market. Even the tools are of inferior quality. Getting professional tools from the market is impossible.”

Syed Tareq Rahman

Young sculptor Syed Tareq Rahman, 27, has so far won four prestigious awards for his impressive works. The artist got Best Sculpture Award from the 17th Young Artist Art Exhibition 2010 held at the Shilpakala Academy. Tareq completed his BFA and MFA majoring in Sculpture from FFA, DU and currently is working as freelance artist. Tareq has had a great fascination for art right from the very beginning for which his father has always been an inspiration. For most of his sculptures, Tareq likes to use Plaster of Paris as his medium. Metals like iron, stone, wood are also used. Human faces and their various expressions are carved on wood and stand to be one of the biggest motifs in his sculptures. Tareq was born in 1988 at Khulna. He has participated in many group exhibitions and in 2008 was accorded Merit scholarship from Dhaka University Alumni Association and Mutual Trust Bank. Tareq has a vision to spread his art works among the noted art connoisseur’s of the country and abroad.

Minar Rahman

Minar Rahman, 25, is a well known young cartoonist. Drawing cartoon is his passion from childhood and he has been contributing in various newspapers and magazines for many years as a cartoonist. He has been awarded by Transparency International Bangladesh for his cartoon against corruption. He got tremendously inspired by a number of comic series for instances Tintin by Herge,  Asterix by Uderzo and Goccini. He unveiled a comic book titled ‘“Gablu’ at Ekushey Book Fair 2013. He started publishing “Gablu” as limited strips in some popular dailies which got good responses and then decided to make comics on ‘Gablu”. He thinks that there are a lot of opportunities for the young people who are interested in cartoon. He said “There are huge opportunities for cartoonists at present. They can work in newspapers and magazines. Every newspaper employs a fixed cartoonist. They are getting handsome amounts from these papers. There is a huge field to work on animation sector and Bangladesh indeed is developing in this sector day by day. A good number of cartoonists from Bangladesh are working internationally. Lots of international cartoon festivals are being arranged every year. International cartoonists get their remuneration through online.” He aspires to see himself making a fully animated movie in the near future.

Soma Surovi

Talented artist Soma Surovi, 27, completed her post graduation from the Department of Drawing and Painting, FFA, DU. Later she completed MFA from Visva Bharati University, Kolkata. She won Media Best Award (Oil)-2011 in Annual Art Exhibition organised by FFA, DU. She has a passion for landscapes. Reflecting the spectrum of human emotions like joy, sorrow, anger etc. through the easel has been her lifelong passion. She likes to use all mediums of paintings. But oil painting has been the preferred medium for her. She took part in numerous group exhibitions so far. She also joined in a drawing workshop under Lisa Milroy of Slade School of fine arts of UCL, London in 2012. Zainul Abedin is her lifelong idol.

Nahfia Jahan Monni

Nahfia Jahan Monni, 29, didn’t dream to become an artist when she was teenager. Speaking with this writer she said- ‘Initially I was not that interested to become an artist. Then slowly I came to realise my profound passion for painting. I prefer the oil medium. Beside being an artist I am also working as a graphic designer at a private company’.  She completed her MFA degree (drawing and painting) at Dhaka University of Fine arts in 2014. Recently she took part in a group exhibition named ‘ERA’. Monni has not done any solo exhibitions yet, but plans to do so in the future.
Arafat Karim

Arafat Karim completed Masters in Drawing and Painting from FFA, DU. The 28 years old came into the limelight after winning the TIB Anti-Corruption Cartoon Exhibition 2009. Since then, he has worked in the satire magazine ‘Unmad’; and have also become a member of Bangladesh Cartoonist Association (BANCARAS). He is a comic writer and usually draws his comics by hand, although recently he started doing some digital works. The comics are usually coloured digitally. In 2013 an action comic created by him; called Denoyed: 32 came out. It was one of the four comics published by Dhaka Comics, which is a collective launched by a bunch of his fellow young artists to accelerate the comics industry in Bangladesh. In 2003, he won 1st prize, beating contestants of 15 countries, in a drawing contest on world peace, organised by Impress foundation. He won 3rd prize in the ‘Jatiyo Shishu Puroshkar Protijogita’-2006 for pottery. Apart from Drawing Cartoons he also does oil paintings, drawings, sketching, etc. Arafat said “I wish to continue my  efforts in the world of comics, and hope to make a lasting mark in the comics industry.”

Parvaj Hasan Rigan

Born in 1988, in Barisal, Parvaj Hasan Rigan came to know about his inner love for painting and art in his early youth, although he never thought that he was going to be an artist in future. He passed BFA from faculty of Fine Art from Dhaka University, also his MFA. In his work he tries to implement mystery with psychological captivity and spirituality. His art works were exhibited in many national and international exhibitions. Speaking with this writer he said- “I was motivated by one of my roommates. I used to draw on notebooks and my friend told me that I should try my luck on becoming an artist. In the beginning it was hard; I worked in several places just to get by. I am the sort of person who doesn’t want to go after art collectors. If someone appreciates my work I sell it to them. My ultimate goal is to become a university teacher. Oil on canvas is my favorite medium”.    
Shohagh Parvez

Shohagh Parvez, 32, is a young artist has earned laurels in realistic form of painting.
He likes to absorb himself in the world of realism with his creative works and is endowed with keen sensitivity. He wants to observe the deepest portion of nature. In this context his outstanding proficiency and dexterity are superb. River and boat are recurring motifs of his works. He has a flair for watercolour and attained recognition for his studies of nature in its different moods as a young artist. Shohagh has already done six solo exhibitions and took part in numerous group exhibitions. His latest exhibition “My Golden Country” was held in August this year. He is now planning to hold another solo exhibition in the coming year.

Arifuzzaman Nurnabi

Arifuzzaman Nurnabi ,26,  recently completed MFA from FFA, DU majoring in the art form of craft. Nurnabi creates extraordinary pieces which reflect the problems of our society. The young artist completed a solo exhibition held at Zainul Gallery in 2012. In the exhibition he featured several shortcomings in our society.  In 2010, he achieved ‘Artist Zunabul Islam Memorial Award’ for his installation artwork ‘Sidr’ . Here he used bamboo as a medium of his installation work.
“Bamboo, wood ,clay , water colour, oil painting, mixed media, ceramics painting I think whatever it may be, if an artist can express his concept properly, the job would be done as well.” Said the artist.
Tusher Kabir

Young and talented painter Tusher Kabir, 25, was the founder president of American International University-Bangladesh Art Club. In 2009 he along with some of his friends founded AIUB Art Club. He studied BBA from AIUB and painting is an integral part of his life. He usually works on the subjects of passion, love, Greek god and goddess, fairy queen, etc. He is used to work in all mediums of colour. Earlier, he worked on oriental art but now he likes oil painting the most. He has taken part in numerous group shows nationally. His first solo art exhibition titled ‘Unseen and Untold’ was held at Dhaka Art Center on 14th November 2013. He has a plan to do a diploma course on painting in future.

Suman Kumar Sarkar

Suman Kumar Sarkar, 28, is a talented young artist who now has a vibrant presence in our art arena. He completed his BFA from the Rajshashi University majoring in drawing and painting. As an artist he has won numerous prestigious awards. In 2011 he got ‘Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Award’ (All Medium Best Award) at Annual Art Exhibition- 2011 organised by Department of Fine Art, Rajshahi University. His combination of colours attracts the art connoisseurs and critics alike. He has a flair for watercolour. He always prefers to use traditional media like pen, pencil, ink and watercolour.  He completed many group exhibitions nationally. His first was solo exhibition was held in 2013 Alliance Francaise De Dhaka.