Wakilur Rahman
| Wakilur Rahman | |
|---|---|
| Native name | ওয়াকিলুর রহমান |
| Born | 15 December 1961 Bangladesh |
| 🏫 Education |
|
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation |
| Movement | Contemporary art, Minimalism |
| 🏅 Awards |
|
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Wakilur Rahman (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; born 15 December 1961) is a Bangladeshi painter, printmaker, sculptor and installation artist.[1][2] He has been dividing his time between Dhaka and Berlin since 1988.[3][4] He is a founding member of the art group 'Shomoy' (Samay), which initiated a discourse on contemporary art in Bangladesh.[5] He is also the founder and director of Kalakendra, a non-profit art gallery in Dhaka.[1][5]
Early life and education
Wakilur Rahman was born on 15 December 1961 in Bangladesh.[1][6] He completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Dhaka Art College (now the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka) in 1981.[3][1] He went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China, in 1986.[3][4][6]
Career
Rahman has been dividing his time between Dhaka and Berlin since 1988.[3][4] He moved to East Germany in 1988 and experienced the initial years of German unification.[5] He worked as a guest student at the West Berlin Art School's Visual Communication Department from 1993.[1]
He is one of the founding members of the art group 'Shomoy' (also spelled 'Samay'), which was formed in the mid-1980s and documented social, cultural and economic crises through artworks.[3][5]
In 2015, Rahman established Kalakendra, a non-profit art gallery in Dhaka, and has served as its director since its inception.[1][5] He has also served as the curator of Kalakendra.[7] He has taught part-time at the University of Asia Pacific's Architecture Department since 2012.[1]
Artistic practice
Rahman works across various mediums, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, and installation.[2][7] His work has been described as minimalist, drawing on Eastern philosophy, Buddhism, Baul traditions, and Sufism.[8] He has stated that his work deals with space, emptiness, silence, motionlessness, meditation, flatness and minimalism.[8] His fascination with calligraphy, particularly Bengali calligraphy and the relationship between spoken words and visual connotation, is a recurrent theme in his work.[4]
His paintings depict the mystic Bauls of Bangladesh, different forms of pat and sora, as well as various other facets of Bangladeshi culture on tempera and oil.[2] He has also addressed social issues through his artworks since the early 1980s.[5]
In 2024, his solo exhibition "Monon Khonon" (Unearthing the Archaic) at Bengal Shilpalay featured installations made from wood, aluminium, iron, and terracotta, exploring material culture and the relationship between the people of the delta region and their environment.[7][9]
Selected exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
- "Rearrangement", Shilpangan, Dhaka (2007)[8]
- "In Books, You Can Read", Dhaka Art Centre (2010)[3]
- "Reading Images", Bengal Art Lounge, Dhaka (2012)[10]
- "Cultural Fast Food", Dhaka Art Center (2012)[11]
- "Bodyspace Mindscape", Dwip Gallery, Dhaka (2019)[2]
- "There Is No Story", Gallery Shilpangan, Dhaka (2020)[12]
- "Monon Khonon", Bengal Shilpalay, Dhaka (2024)[7][9]
Group exhibitions
- "Kagajer Chhaya", National Museum, Dhaka (2009)[3]
- "+ - art....texture", with architect Abdullah Motaleb, Kalakendra, Dhaka (2026)[13]
International exhibitions
Rahman's works have been displayed in Germany, France, Norway, Greece, Bulgaria, Japan, and Cuba.[8]
Awards and recognition
Rahman has received several awards, including:[4][8]
- Annual International Exhibition of Miniature Art, Toronto (1989)
- Best Award (Graphic Media), Young Artists' Art Exhibition, Dhaka (1994)
- Norwegian International Print Triennale, Fredrikstad (1995)
- Agricola-Preis für Kunst und Wissenschaft, Glauchau, Germany (1996)
- Best Award (All Media), Young Artists' Art Exhibition, Dhaka (1996)
- AB Bank Award, National Exhibition, Dhaka
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "শিল্পী ওয়াকিলুর রহমান". BD Fashion Archive (in Bengali). 25 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Wakilur Rahman's 'Bodyspace Mindscape' at Dwip Gallery". The Daily Star. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "The many perspectives of Wakilur Rahman". The Daily Star. 25 September 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Wakilur Rahman". Bengal Foundation. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Chowdhury, Priyanka (30 April 2020). "'It is the right time to practice minimalism' – Wakilur Rahman". The Daily Star. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Wakilur Rahman (1961-)". museum-digital. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "'Monon Khonon': Unravelling the complex threads of material culture". The Daily Star. 12 September 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Haq, Fayza (22 March 2007). "Dwelling on space and emptiness". The Daily Star. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Monon Khonon: A journey of gentle exploration". The Business Standard. 9 September 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ "Reading Images: Wakilur Rahman". Asia Art Archive. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ "'Cultural Fast Food' An Art Exhibition by Wakilur Rahman". Dhaka Art Center. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ "গ্যালারি শিল্পাঙ্গনে শিল্পী ওয়াকিলুরের চিত্র প্রদর্শনী". The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 28 January 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ "Duet exhibition explores connection between architecture, fine art". New Age. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
External links
- Official website (inactive)
- Wakilur Rahman at Bengal Foundation
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