ARTIST HIGHLIGHT
Lack of Policy, Marketing Supports Clogs Export Earnings from Pottery Industry
Even though terracotta has thousands of years of history in this region, there is no dearth of demand for the art in the modern era as well. Rather, people’s taste has changed with rising income and innovative design increases the art’s demand. People want to hold their history and tradition through terracotta, murals and sculpture. Nowadays, terracotta murals with traditional Bengali folk symbols and the Liberation War are seen on walls of different establishments such as museums, educational institutions, offices, stadiums, restaurants and squares of roads. The symbols of the Language Movement and Liberation War are noticeable arts in the country. These terracotta murals and sculptures touch people’s hearts easily as history was made through a bloody struggle. In Bangladesh, different ministries and departments allocate funds to set up the arts at various places Nokkhotro ensures innovative design The Nokkhotro is a sculpture and pottery institute established in 2009 by artist Ashraful Alam Riaz in collaboration with Muhammad Rawshan Ali so that the history and traditions of the country can be highlighted through art works to the next generations. “We are moving forward by doing small art-works. At the end of 2011, the artist, Shrivas Basak, joined the Nokkhotro. After that, we never looked back. Today’s Nokkhotro is the result of our tireless work,” Mr Ashraful said. In this context he recalled the contribution of two persons to establishing the institution –Shrivas Basak and Khorshed Alam. However, he was working at Nokkhotro till March 2019,” Ashraful added. Nokkhotro has around 150 artworks till date and most of them are mural and terracotta. “I only built a sculpture ‘Bangabandhu sculpture’ at Rajbari road square of Faridpur,” he shared with author. However, despite a huge demand for pottery items in the global market, Bangladesh cannot take the opportunity due to lack of proper marketing, and policy support from the government He explained that the demand for Bangladesh’s pottery items like crockery, mural, and terracotta have a good demand in local and international markets, thanks to unique designs. He regretted that the country cannot earn more money from the industry by exporting these items due to lack of policy support and marketing difficulties. “I urge the Cultural Affairs Ministry to take an initiative to arrange fairs at home and abroad so that our artists can display their art works in those exhibitions,” Mr Ashraful said. Terracotta are made with clay, and mural and sculptures with ceramic plates, he said, adding that emperors had in the past used earthenware and decorated their basilicas as well as different important places with mural and sculptures by famous artists. Nowadays, murals and sculptures are built in different sites to recall history and enhance beauty of a site Key arts of Nokkhotro “My institution has already produced 120 murals, 30 terracotta and one sculpture,” the artist said. Their remarkable mural and terracotta are ‘52-71 Shironam’ and ‘Sheikh Rashel’ murals on the walls of Shukrabad New Model Degree College in Dhanmondi, ‘Muktir Dak’ mural at Nikunja-1 of Khilkhet, which was inaugurated by former President Abdul Hamid, Bangabandhu Memorial Ghat Mural in Tungipara of Gopanjang, Terracotta of Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, ‘Prerona’ mural in Dinajpur, Muktijoddha and Bangabandhu terracotta in Tetulia, ‘Rouhani Manzil terracotta and mural at Bir Muktijoddha Mofiz Angur Museum in Natore, ‘Shaheed Sritisoudh’ Shikhari Para Tozammel Hossain Chowdhury Degree College Premises in Nawabganj Upazila. He also added that their works on terracotta, and murals are going on, at Dinajpur DC office gate, Narayanganj Rupganj Upazila Parishad Gate, Rupganj Upazila health Complex gate design, and Madhubagh Park. Several new projects to be implemented in different parts of the country are awaiting for approval, Mr Ashraful added. Murals on two ends of Padma Bridge The highest two murals in Bangladesh are ‘Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina’ Murals on both ends of Padma Bridge. One is Mawa site of Munshiganj and another is Zanjira site of Shariatpur that increased the beauty of the Padma Bridge, artist Ashraful said. “We have built Jamdani murals on both Mawa and Zanjira sites; this is our best work so far. The mural of Zanjira site is 72-foot tall, and 36-foot tall. The mural at Mawa end is 90-foot talland 40-foot tall,” he informed this author. “We used to engage 18 artists and 22 workers between April and June 2022 to construct the Padma Bridge mural at the Zanjira site.” We built a special studio for the work there. Portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were placed on the walls on the banks of the Padma River, decorated step by step with Chini-Tikri,” he also said. The artist added that primarily they thought of creating a mural with ceramic tiles, but later opted for high-quality ceramic plates considering the bright colours and durability. “A total of 15,000 plates of 37 types of colour were used in the two. These are called ‘Chini Tikri’. And 30 types of coloured plates were used to produce the portrait of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. These ceramic plates are not usually produced by ceramic companies. However, Artisan Ceramics made 8,000 plates used in the Mawa end’s mural, and Monno Ceramic made 7,000 plates used in Zanjira end mural. These are the biggest murals in Bangladesh.” Use of Ceramic products “Now we use 100 per cent ceramic products while we make murals. The ceramic products ensure durability and colour bring brightness in our arts,” he said. “As ceramic products are used in our works, I request ceramic companies to sponsor us to continue our work across the country and the globe. It will help to expand the ceramic market as well.” “We want to keep Bangladesh’s tradition and history through murals, terracotta and sculpture for the next generations. I have a plan of building 100 most influential people’s mural across the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be one of them as she has a contribution to the economy,” Ashraful said. He pointed out that their key challenge is financing support. “It is
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Mrith Shilpo The Art and the Artists
A blurred memory of seeing clay art somewhere on the Dhaka University campus, and visiting places of art, exhibitions, and festivals – are all part of socio-cultural development during our childhood. These products are home decors, visually soothing and adds a warmth in the ambiance. An urban woman would plant trees in clay pots and vases. Sometimes she would use clay tableware to serve food. Growing up, clay came into our life in many ways. Apart from the aesthetics of a clay art piece, the artifacts feel grainy when touched and can be turned into mush and moulded into something new. A younger version of us would want to break them and glue them back together with wet clay. So, finally visiting the shops on DU campus brought back the childhood memories. It took Ceramic Bangladesh authors two visits to learn the insides of the trade at Doyel Chottor Mrith Shilpo (Pottery) shops. We met three of the oldest shop owners there, and through conversation, they shared their experience – the goods and the bads. Abul Kashem was one, a 72-year-old man, who has been in the Mrith Shilpo business for 36 years. The oldest there, the artist designs the products and sometimes moulds the clay as well. His teenage years started with a job in a fishing trawler, and living on the water with all its waves and splashes. What scared him during his voyages on the boat were pirates. He left the job after experiencing one attack and came to Dhaka to look for work. Mr Kashem came across merchants from the Paal community in a festival in Shishu Academy where he was running his tea stall. The merchants came from Savar’s Nobinagar area and sold some of their products to Mr. Kashem or Kashem chacha as an old man is called in this part of the world. “I got the products at a low price from them, because I bought all their leftovers,” he recalled. He sold his f irst lot in the book fair. Kashem chacha now buys the products from Cumilla, Shariatpur, Gazipur, and Tangail. He said the Covid-19 pandemic took a big toll on his business, now it’s better, however. He makes Taka 15,000 a month by selling these products and his family lives a tight life. But he is still happy doing what he loves to do. “All in all the business is not that bad, I mean, we are surviving here. I truck in my products from different parts of the country: Ektara from Kushtia, Lamps from Khulna, Potteries from Cumilla and so on. The Metro Rail Authority supports us now and has given us cards to claim a shop when the paperwork is done.” Digging Deeper The biggest threat to the shop owners here, was that there is no permanent paperwork for them that could potentially protect their shops. The shops are legally said to be temporary and the Metro rail project has decreased the customer count and the buzz in the shops has come down. However, promises from a member of parliament has given them some hope. It was, however, relieving to hear that the students of the university, Charukola, VC of the University are the people behind the success of these stores. “They inspire us,” one of them said. Mohammed Baharuddin, 52 years of age, who runs Siyam Mrith Shilpo and Handicrafts, said he came to Dhaka from Noakhali when he was 12 and now has three children. The family survives on what he earns and they are doing well. “I have been in this business for 30 years. I met the potters from the paal community in a festival,” said Mr. Baharuddin. The teachers and faculties of DU know about the hardships of this business and also value what these shop owners do here. So, he said, 29 of them got together to write a letter to the ministry, pending a reply. “I fear that even though the chances are there, someday someone will come and uproot us from here.”- Mr. Baharuddin said. Mohammed Saiful Islam, 53, owner of Doyel Mrith Shilpo, said “I was born in Rajshahi, in Zafapur, and before coming into this business I sold vegetables. The 1988 flood took away everything from me, so I moved to Dhaka and thought about joining the pottery business. My brother-in-law was in this business from before, and he gave me one of his two shops, and that’s how I got started.” Mr Saiful’s son studies in Dhaka University, and this business has made it possible for him to educate his children. His daughter is also married into a loving home, and currently they live with his mother and wife in a small but warm apartment in the city.
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Symbolizing the elements of space and time
Son of an engineer, but never performed satisfactorily in mathematics. The journey of artist Alak Roy to the Institute of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, was somewhat for that reason. Though it was in a family legacy as his father’s cousins’ studied in the Government Collage of Arts a n d Crafts in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was never an amateur practitioner, but from a very young age, he admired and appreciated artworks. According to him, his luck has always been favored in any way or another; starting with getting scholarships from the very first year to exhibiting works and attending residencies in different countries along with many other internationally renowned artists. The boost to his confidence and self-esteem started when he achieved his very first full free scholarship, which inspired him to look forward to working hard and better. As he used to admire paintings, he took the subject as a major. The scholarship provided the opportunity to learn in India. The guidance of an amazing teacher, who used to work with clay and ceramics, inspired him too. He grew interested to express Bengali culture through murals and reliefs. “We artists who were fresh graduates right after the independence had always wanted to establish the deep culture and belongingness of Bangladesh in our works. It mainly started in the year 1969 and is a milestone in the history as it might be called a cultural revolution of Bangladesh. The country got its self-identification which made us different from Pakistan. Something which we Bengalis are always proud about” shared Alak Roy. They contributed in different ways to being a student at that time, by writing posters late at night, which helped him to improve his handwriting skills, and was very much active in various activities of the liberation movement. He has been influenced by many local works of artists like Kamrul Hasan, Joynul Abedin, and S. M. Sultan, and how they expressed the folklore and culture in their works. That was not an era of the internet, hence exposure to international works or platforms was very limited. Alak Roy found joy in working with clay and ceramics with inner satisfaction. “People have hidden talents and aptitudes. But most fail to realize or explore that side. Hence keeping the world out of their abilities and their self-belongingness,” he added. His courage in working with clay increased gradually exploring different opportunities while observing potters’ work and witnessing multiple terracotta temples in Bishnupur, Bankura, West Bengal, and also in Moynamoti Shalbon Bihar and Cumilla. His first relief exhibition was named “Matir Kana”, and ‘Aboddho’ another high relief work exhibition was also organized. Gradually started progressing with three-dimensional work. He believed in stepping up and not jumping to risks. He always believed that soft clay has a character of its own and there is a lot of potentials to express through this material in form of artwork. He thought of working with clay and ceramic because his native country itself is made of fertile soil which relates him to Bangladesh. People have hidden talents and aptitudes. But most fail to realize or explore that side. Hence keeping the world out of their abilities and their self- belongingness. Being a university teacher, he had his earning source fixed. Sculptors throughout the world are very less in number because their works are not being bought and their setups are costly. He is no different, but this never kept him from producing beautiful sculptures and working for them. There is his early time work in the national museum, a very expressive one. Winning many awards international exposures encouraged him to think bigger and better, to take risks to keep going forward. As he studied murals which in basic terms are artwork related to architecture, that helped him to be liked by architects as well. “I try developing my own clay. I never thought of working with any synthetic materials. I wanted to explore organic materials as it goes with my personality. I also worked with stones and bronze on international platforms, with their help and support. Being a sculptor needs its own form of support and setup. I always spent my earnings developing my working setup to keep improving. For me, my representation was always through my work. As I did not study ceramics, I know little about it. If it was my field of study I might have achieved differently,” shared Alak Roy. His works had been collected by Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. At the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art in Gifu, Japan, 85 sculptors were invited to exhibit, and he was one of them. Similar work was also exhibited at Incheon Centre in South Korea. He did many works and residencies in China, Vietnam, South Korea, America, and many other countries. His last solo exhibition was in France. And did many successful exhibitions in Bangladesh as well. According to him, his biggest achievement is the chance to explore and observe a lot of different artworks and get to meet different artists. While starting his professional practice his first big exposure was doing a sculpture for the Grameen Bank. Worked for the Bangladesh Army as well, initially with the condition of getting the freedom to express himself through his work even sacrificing the negligible honorarium. Personally designed random sculpture gardens as well. Many people complain about the drawbacks of being an academic, but he enjoys learning from young minds, their positive vibes provide active energy to him. There’s a lot of scope in modern art. In his early works, there were many full figures of humans, but later he started concentrating on faces, as the symbolization of more simplified and concentrated human expressions. From facial emotions to more detailed expressions are portrayed in his artworks which are symbols of eyes. “There are a lot of eyes in my works, as me being a visual artist, and we see with eyes. But we all see very differently with our subconscious mind. It’s the matter of perspective
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