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Quest for Self

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Sheikh Arif Bulbon:
Artist Qayyum Chowdhury is an outstanding painter in the art arena of the country. As an able follower of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and Patua Quamrul Hassan, Qayyum Chowdhury has enriched the country’s art scenario with his distinct style. His continuous quest to create something new and his affection for his motherland has added a new dimension to his works.
Qayyum Chowdhury is also a prominent name in the world of art in South Asia. Using lines, circles, triangles, cubic forms, geometrical figures, dots, and vivid colours on paper or canvas Qayyum has expressed everything he has seen since early age.
Qayyum Chowdhury has held many responsible positions throughout his career. All his works always reflect that Bangla resides within him and he within it. Nevertheless, it has been an attempt by the artist to represent the history and heritage of Bangladesh through his own assay on canvas.
The artist is well-known for his unique, design-based artworks apart from the ordinary paintings. Book cover illustrations and posters, floral depictions during festive occasions, mosaic murals, advertisement drawings and sketches are some of his outstanding creations which have brought laurels and renown to the soft-spoken art talent of our country.
Bold lines, geometric blocks and variegated strokes and daubs of vibrant colours, including red, green, yellow, blue, purple, white and black, have often dominated the abstract expressionist settings of the artist with a deep sense of patriotism and unpretentious modesty.
To celebrate his 80th birthday, Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts organised a two-week art exhibition, titled “Quest for Self” recently. Some 80 new artworks by the veteran artist were on display in the exhibition.
Noted artist Murtaja Baseer, noted litterateur and author Syed Shamsul Haq, eminent educationist Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman and theatre personality Ramendu Majumdar jointly inaugurated the exhibition.
Qayyum Chowdhury’s works highlight rural Bengali life and traditions. The countryside and the lives of the villagers inspire the artist. Women, farmers, fishes, straw, boat, human figure, tree, flowers and greenery were major elements and recurring themes on his canvases. His artworks contain various motifs found in our folklore. The exhibition also proves this fact. 
Semi-realistic and abstract paintings of this senior artist were simply mind-blowing and deeply inspirational for every art lover as well as artists of the later generations.
In the art piece titled “Quest for self-50” done in acrylic on canvas, birds have been painted in white on a dark background.  Another titled “Quest for self- 75”, a serography print depicts a woman indulged by nature. Green, yellow, red and white are the key colours of this artwork.
On the other hand, a serography print titled “Quest for self-76” portrays birds, flowers and leaves in abstract form. Oil painting “Quest for self-41” depicts human figure, fish and boat in abstract form. 
The colour green dominates the canvas to portray nature in “Quest for self-10”, done in acrylic on paper. A self-portrait by the artist makes visitors gaze at the composition “Quest for self-61”.
As renowned painting talent of the subcontinent, Qayyum Chowdhury has been ruling the art arena of Bengal for the last six decades, since the era of early 50’s.
Born on March 9, 1932 in Feni this veteran artist has participated in numerous group art exhibitions at home and abroad while hosted solos too. The celebrity artist, who has equal expertise in mediums of oil, pastel, water colour and lithograph print, has so far won a number of national and international awards and honours, including Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Award in 1977 and Ekushey Padak in 1986. n