In his simple trademark kurta pyjama, Qayyum Chowdhury was as
imposing as a Roman emperor in a toga and laurels. In the '50s, veering
away from folk art and moving away from realism, Qayyum entered a phase
of semi-abstraction. This gave him subject for work and from it he
developed his unique style. He used folk art for stylistic reasons. He
borrowed from the lives of the common man. His figures were flat but
supple. His bright colours had a mass appeal. He took images in their
geometrical shapes and arranged them in a modern way.
On this day just a year ago, the stalwart passed away on the stage of
the world's biggest classical music festival (an art form he held close
to heart), with an unfinished sentence hanging from his mouth. This
year's edition of the Bengal Classical Music Festival is fittingly
dedicated to his memory.
Qayyum reworked forms in a poetic way. The decorated designs of
country boats filled his work. He kept his main object in the centre. He
left the space around his subject with minute forms. Thus his central
figures stood out because of the play of chiaroscuro. His work was
always rhythmic, neat and clean. In his “Bathing Women” (2002) and
“Village Autumn” (2002), the women in hues of red, blue and beige merge
with nature, the rivers, trees and fields.
Even his black and white drawings for magazines, newspapers and books
had and beauty of their own--like the sketches of Pablo Picasso or
Rabindranath Tagore. As a successor of Zainul Abedin and Qamarul Hassan,
he roamed freely through the many realms of art. Through his brush and
pen he depicted the common man of Bengal--the farmers and fishermen.
In the '60s, his drawing captured the Bengali people's struggle for
survival. He sought to draw near the land and seek its roots. The series
of watercolours depict the Language Movement and Liberation War of 1971
eloquently and in different mediums. Behind his work was the driving
force of his spirit. He was moved by the helplessness of the victims of
the tragedies. He honoured the victims through his treatment of his
work. His “Boat” - pen and ink (2001), “Setting Sun” - pen and ink
(2001_, “Secret Talk” (2004), “Worried” - acrylic (2004) depicted his
women subjects in green and blue simple lines bringing in the beauty of
the minutest leaves and ferns that formed the backdrops of his works.
In his famous drawing of a woman holding a yellow bird, dressed in a
simple blue sari, with a brown border and a green blouse, she is seen
surrounded by all the wealth of Bangladesh's nature. His faces, rivers
and landscapes remain etched in our hearts. The red swirling sun, bits
of leaves, ferns and buds of red flowers; blue fish swimming in the
river with blue waves and red seaweed, a rotating beige, red and pale
green disc depicting the sun are found in the peaceful and restful
picture. A yellow bird in flight and squiggles of blue clumps of trees
complete the image.
