Abdur Razzaque, one of the greatest sculptors of our country, founded the Department of Sculpture at the then Dhaka Art College (now Faculty of Fine Art) University of Dhaka. As a versatile artist Abdur Razzaque was not only adept in the media of sculpture; printmaking and painting were among his favourite media of expressions. He had shown outstanding evidence in both creativity and skill in every art form.

Passionate and introverted, Abdur Razzaque, shied away from a society preoccupied with acquiring fame, wealth and power. In his long and chequered life, Razzaque gradually transformed himself into an abstract expressionist painter. His works were form and colour-oriented and nature was a recurring leitmotif in his works. His water colours exude serenity and tranquillity which was one of the hallmarks of his works. He always enjoyed creating new forms and shapes that represented   unfamiliar and unconventional elements This avant-garde painter had associated with the modern art movement in Bangladesh from its very early days.

The themes of the displayed works are also diverse. The artworks portray urban and rural landscapes, human faces, simple village life, beauty of women, rivers, trees and others. Razzaque was a cosmopolitan artist who travelled to many countries. He went to the United States with a Fulbright Scholarship in 1955 for post-graduate education at the Iowa State University.

A number of displayed paintings depict foreign countries and foreigners. The images of different European cities including Istanbul, Turkey and Bennington, USA have also been depicted in several displayed works. A displayed watercolour titled “Philip Thompson” shows a man reading a book.

A number of woodcut and etching prints are also on display at the show. One of the prints titled “Village” shows a calm and quiet village with foliage and huts.

Etching including “Kheya Ghat-1 and 2” and “Boat Race” shows the eternal imagery of Bangladesh. A pastel work at the show titled “Mirpur” shows boats plying in the water body of the Mirpur Beri Bandh area in the capital.

The exhibition also features pen and ink portraits of cattle, men and women and others. A self-portrait of the artist (pencil sketch on paper), has also been displayed at the show. Inaugurated by cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor as chief guest on October 31, the exhibition will remain open from 11am to 8pm daily till November 15.