Artists among other speakers at a programme on Saturday underscored the urgency of preserving the works of celebrated artist SM Sultan, noting that some of his creations had already suffered damage lacking proper conservation initiatives.
The call was made at an event titled 鈥楽ultan at his birth centenary鈥�, organised by the 鈥楴ational and international birth centenary celebration committee of SM Sultan鈥� at the Bengal Foundation auditorium in the capital, marking the artist鈥檚 100th anniversary of birth.
Bengal Foundation chairman Abul Khair at the programme reminisced about a 68-foot-long painting by Sultan titled 鈥楻ural culture鈥� which he said remained in Narail under the care of the SM Sultan Foundation but had deteriorated due to a lack of preservation.
He urged art connoisseurs to help save the artwork.聽
Artist Bimanesh Chandra Biswas from Narail also echoed Abul Khair regarding the urgency preservation efforts.聽
Convener of the national and international birth centenary celebration committee of SM Sultan, artist Monirul Islam, said that Sultan had created many experimental works using jute bags, vegetable dyes and watercolours many of which were聽 damaged.
Presenting a keynote speech titled 鈥楾he legacy of Artist Sultan: imagination, beauty, and the politics of ordinary people鈥檚 rise鈥�, researcher Shahman Moishan said that Sultan introduced a transformative aesthetic and he believed nothing as greater than human beings.
He said understanding Sultan鈥檚 paintings requires an understanding of the Indian subcontinent鈥檚 cultural evolution under colonial rule, and through extensive travels Sultan forged his own artistic language, rejecting global modernity and official bureaucracy.
The speakers said that Sultan deliberately exaggerated farmers鈥� muscular physique to showcase their inner strength and resilience as they were backbone of society.
Committee member secretary Nasir Ali Mamun said that three books were published marking Sultan鈥檚 centenary and over the next two years, various programmes would take place, including research publications.
Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, founder of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra, chaired the event, where art critic Mustafa Zaman and Professor Abul Monsur also spoke.聽
A book name 鈥楽ultan Khanon鈥� was launched at the event.
Sheikh Mohammed Sultan, popularly known as SM Sultan, was born on August 10 in1923 in Narail and died on October 10 in 1994 in Jessore.