Zainul Abedin । Note Book

Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin has been heralded as the founding father of Bangladeshi art and art education. Known for his leadership in organising art movements, Abedin started the Government Institute of Arts and Crafts (now Faculty of Fine Arts) in 1948 at Dhaka.

Born in Mymensingh, Abedin grew up in the serene landscape by the river Brahmaputra. In 1933, he enrolled at Calcutta Government Art School, and later taught at the institute. He was an influential member of the Calcutta Group of progressive artists.

Through his Famine Series Paintings of 1943, Abedin depicted inhuman story with human emotions. These sketches helped him find his way in a realistic approach that focused on human sufferings, struggles and protests. The Rebel Crow marks a high point of that style.