Shahabuddin Ahmed (artist)

Shahabuddin Ahmed (born 11 September 1950) is a Bangladeshi painter. He was awarded the Chevalier De L'ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres (Knight in the Order of Fine Arts and Humanities) by the Ministry of Cultural Affair and Communication of France in 2014. He was the recipient of Independence Day Award by the Government of Bangladesh in 2000. His paintings are displayed in galleries like Olympic Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland, Municipal Museum of Bourg-en-Bresse, France, Seoul Olympic Museum, South Korea, the National Taiwan Museum and Bangladesh National Museum.
Education.
Ahmed studied at Dhaka Art College (now Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka) before obtaining a scholarship to study at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris during 1974–1981.
Career.
Ahmed served as a platoon commander for the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, before studying art, and his experiences in the war are clearly reflected in his artwork. He has painted numerous scenes from the war (e.g. the Killing of the Intellectuals) as well as portraits of key figures such as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Ahmed's works are displayed in many galleries around the globe including the Olympic Museum of Lausanne in Switzerland, Bangladesh National Museum, Bulgarian National Museum in Sofia, Seoul Olympic Museum of South Korea and Bourg-en Bresse Museum France as well as in India, United States, and England.
Ahmed's paintings are permanently displayed in Galerie Daniel Besseiche, Galerie Samagra, Galerie du Fleuve in Paris 6ème (rue Jacob, rue de Seine, sur Guénégaud) Galerie Jas de la Rimade in south of France (Carcès near to Aix-en-Provence) Galerie Daniel Besseiche in Courchevel, Deauville and Saint-Tropez. His paintings are often sold by auction in Drouot, Artcurial, Christie's, and Versailles Enchères.
Ahmed currently lives in Paris.
Painting style.
Ahmed's painting style is iconic. It stands out from the work of all his fellow Bangladeshi artists. He has a distinct oil on canvas style that is heavily influenced by European artists. It is argued that Shahabuddin is greatly inspired by European artists from the 1980s, especially that of Francis Bacon.
Ahmed's works rely on minimalism and stark realism. Despite his European style, he would always address his subject matter as something related closer to home. His works are often described as "…baroque-like figures turned towards space seeking light and energy." In his work, the subject is suspended in a mass of monochrome blank space and consists of mostly earthy tones, with perhaps one pop of color. His work is also described as "… figures [that] seem to be enthralled in the cosmic dance at times merging with the ethereal forces."
One of Ahmed's most popular work of art is the Freedom Fighter, showing a figure in motion. This is another characteristic of his works- his subjects appear to be in motion and parts of the subject is always in a blur, gently mixing in with the background. However, some parts of the subject is always distinctively in focus, so much so that you can differentiate every muscle and sinew that is present in it in perfect proportion. This is one of the aspects of Shahabuddin's art that makes him different from his fellow contemporary artists from Bangladesh. His work is described as "The imagery of fearless human figures, which are in the motion of running, seems to burst free from their skin with their flesh, blood, and sinew…"
Although much of his works are about the Liberation War, Shahabuddin has declared that he detested violence and his art was representative of the struggles that he had to overcome as someone who was involved in the war. He also has painted many portraits of important figures such as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Mahatma Gandhi.
Art collections.
Shahabuddin has created countless paintings. Unlike many artists, Shahabuddin has numerous paintings stored in many collections spread all over the world. There are many stored in private collections, of course. Here are some public collections of Shahabuddin's art work from various countries:
Exhibitions.
Ahmed has taken part in countless exhibitions all over the world. His work has been viewed and appreciated by people from numerous counties. His exhibitions are listed below just to give an idea of how far his work has reached.
Major solo exhibitions
Major group exhibitions