Shahabuddin Ahmed

Shahabuddin: A Retrospective 1973 - 2023, featuring 50 years of work by Independence Award-winning and internationally acclaimed artist Shahabuddin Ahmed. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the chief guest, the month-long exhibition was held at the Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Gallery in Dhaka and showcased 144 artworks, carefully curated from the collections of 40 esteemed collectors. Spanning Shahabuddin's career from 1973 to 2023, the exhibition displayed vibrant colours and dynamic compositions that highlighted significant moments in Bangladesh's history, such as the Language Movement, the War of Independence, and the suffering of refugees in 1971. It also included self-portraits and portraits of notable figures like Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Barack Obama, alongside works from Shahabuddin’s student years. This exhibition provided a visually captivating journey through his evolving artistic expression, immersing viewers in his rich artistic legacy and offering a profound narrative of Bangladesh’s cultural and historical journey.

This souvenir catalogue was published to commemorate the 69th birthday celebration of legendary Bangladeshi painter and freedom fighter Shahabuddin Ahmed, held on 11 September 2018 at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka.

The publication brings together messages and tributes from President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Professor Abdul Mannan, Chairman of the National Committee for Shahabuddin Ahmed’s 69th Birthday Celebration, and Liaquat Ali Lucky, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. It also includes the complete details of the National Committee and the programme organised to mark the occasion.

The catalogue features rare archival photographs, including Shahabuddin Ahmed with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, alongside reproductions of Shahabuddin’s paintings depicting Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Rabindranath Tagore and the artist himself.

Also included are a commemorative text, Commendation on the 69th Birthday of Artist Shahabuddin, and an essay by prominent Bangladeshi art critic Moinuddin Khaled, offering further reflection on Shahabuddin’s life, artistic practice and contribution to Bangladesh’s cultural history.

The souvenir serves as both a record of the 2018 celebration and a valuable documentary publication reflecting Shahabuddin Ahmed’s enduring place in the artistic and cultural heritage of Bangladesh.

This exhibition catalogue was published for Shahabuddin Ahmed’s solo exhibition SHANTI (Peace), held at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in March 2018. Organised in collaboration with Ganges Art Gallery, Kolkata, the month-long exhibition brought together works reflecting the artist’s enduring engagement with freedom, humanity, conflict and the aspiration for peace.

Shahabuddin, a freedom fighter of the Liberation War of 1971, conceived Shanti as a response to a world marked by conflict and insecurity. Through his vigorous figures, expressive movement and powerful use of colour, the exhibition connected his personal experience of war with a universal appeal for peace, love and human solidarity. The exhibition had previously been presented in Kolkata in 2015.

The catalogue features 29 artworks from the exhibition, together with a message from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a write-up by Liaquat Ali Lucky, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and an essay by prominent art critic Moinuddin Khaled. Together, the works and writings provide a record of Shahabuddin’s artistic response to history, freedom and the continuing human desire for peace.