Brishtite Roder Kona: The legacy of Kazi Abdul Baset through the cracks of time

On one of the canvases, the cracks of the painting come together to create an image of a woman with a young girl next to her. Even though many years have already gone by, you can make out the abstract background and the necklace made out of water lily flowers. When you take a closer look, you can barely make out the signature of artist Kazi Abdul Baset. 

The exhibition, 'Brishtite Roder Kona', held on level one of Bengal Shilpalay, explores the works of the veteran artist Kazi Abdul Baset. The exhibition opened its doors on 8 November, and it will come to a close on 11 January 2025. The exhibition was curated by the Bengal Arts Programme.

Kazi Abdul Baset's style was quite distinct. Many of his works focused on women and children. Making it one of the most common subjects in his paintings.

While Baset is known for his paintings, at the exhibition, you will be able to explore many more of his works. The collection of art pieces includes drawings, of which some seem to be layouts before his final piece. You can even see the moments he treads out of his signature style with harsher strokes. 

Yet, I was still unable to look past the cracked and peeling art pieces that stood out, in all their beauty, despite their flaws. After speaking with Golam Faruque Sarkar, Manager of the Bengal Arts Programme, it turns out that these cracks tell a much more important story of Kazi Abdul Baset. 

"Baset sir's work was very progressive and modern for its time. However, he was not fond of the spotlight. And the truth is, no one worked on preserving his works, which is why we took the initiative," said Sarkar. 

According to Sarkar, this exhibition was Baset's third solo exhibition. But to make it happen, they faced a lot of difficulties in the research process due to the limited resources available on Baset. 

And in turn, the paintings themselves were not properly stored, which resulted in their current state. 

"A lot of people don't understand how to store artwork properly. These paintings are not just pictures, they are a piece of history. They reflect on what society looked like, and what the practices of artists were. You can learn a lot from them," shared Sarkar. 

However, it seemed that Baset's works had a special place in Sarkar's heart. His eyes never quite leave the painting where the girl holds a necklace made of water lily. 

"I believe a sense of nostalgia works with this piece. Even during my childhood, we would see flower ornaments like this."

Sarkar reflects on Baset's style as well. 

"I see a lot of influences from artists such as Zainul Abedin in his work. I feel like there are similarities in the expressions of the people in his art. It could have come from artistic trends during that time."

Kazi Abdul Baset's work is closely associated with abstract expressionism and realistic paintings. In 1963-64, the artist pursued higher education with a Fulbright Fellowship at the Art Institute of the University of Chicago, where he studied painting. In 1965, he returned to his roots as the head of the drawing and painting department at Dhaka Government Art Institute.

Despite his aversion to the spotlight, the impression his works left on the local art scene is still remembered and celebrated.

Disclaimer: The pieces discussed will be referred to as "untitled" as many of his pieces remain nameless.

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Untitled

The piece is one of his many works in abstract art. The shades of blue, brown, black, and light brown surround the canvas—apart from each other, but seem to come together towards the centre. Interestingly, the artist creates defined lines in the painting through scratches. 

Untitled

The painting depicts a girl and a woman, with a water lily ornament in the girl's hand. The background of the painting incorporates Baset's style of abstract art, depicting the water behind them. Yellow flowers emerge through the darkness of the blue in the background, creating a sharp contrast. 

Untitled

A girl is lying on her side in the painting. Similar to his style in his abstract work, the artist uses scratches to create a definition in the patterns and creases of the shari the girl wears. The expression on the girl remains quite ambiguous—somewhere between a stern and serious glare and a mischievous grin.