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Maruf Ahmed’s Unlimited

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Sheikh Arif Bulbon:
He always treats his artworks as beyond any particularity. He doesn’t want to put any limit to his works. The term abstract is quite improper for his artworks. There are lots of issues, subjects and figurative characters in his paintings those seem to be dexterously placed, sort of hidden from the ordinary eyes. Sometimes even viewers see many things in his painting what he may not see. He believes that the idea of painting should be limitlessness. This is said about German expatriate Bangladeshi artist Maruf Ahmed to introduce his artworks. His solo exhibition titled “Unlimited” is being held at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts in the city’s Dhanmondi area.
A total of 39 paintings of Maruf are on display in the exhibition, which was inaugurated by noted art critic and the Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes with historian Dr Muntasir Mamun, while Ambassador of Italy in Bangladesh Giorgio Gugliemino, the Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Mosud Mannan and the Director of the Goethe Institut Judith Mirschberger, among others, were also present on the occasion.
Basically Maruf Ahmed has been inspired by the German school of Expressionists. In this exhibition, Maruf used vivid colours and forms with red, blue and yellow dominating the canvasses. He has developed an individual style and flair that is easily recognisable by art connoisseurs.
Maruf Ahmed, born in Mymensingh in 1951, went on to complete his BFA back in 1973, from what was then the College of Art and Crafts (now Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka), he also made a name for himself as a news presenter on Bangladesh Television, and a role in the film “Abar Tora Manush Ho” garnered him acclaim.
In 1976, Maruf moved to Germany, when he won a scholarship from the German Academic Exchanger Service and the Goethe-Institut, and in 1988, he earned the highest ‘master student’ degree in painting. He continues to live and work in Germany, as a freelance journalist with Radio Deutschen Welle in Bonn, as a lecturer, and an artist, with solo and group exhibitions in and around Germany. He is internationally recognised for his art, having won several awards.
Everything in his surrounding is the key factor and theme for Maruf’s paintings. He always tries to portray life and society in his works. His paintings comprises thick lines, irregular patches alongside swelling shapes and streaks have connected to combine together in semi-realistic or abstract forms and compositions. The shades and tones of primary colours those of red, yellow and blue as well as black and white are dominant in many of his artworks while he also used green, purple, orange, pink and a mixed collection of other colours as his secondary preference.
The exhibition will end tomorrow.