The art of faces — fierce, calm, and everything in between

In a cluttered studio, faces stare back at you — calm, fierce, and brimming with silent authority. Each one is hand-carved, each one a story frozen in fibreglass, copper, or wood.

The artist, Aminul Islam Ashik, finds faces fascinating. To him, they hold everything: joy and grief, love and hatred — and yes, power.

But this is no ordinary studio. More like a factory, it's walled in and topped with a corrugated tin roof. Inside are welding machines, saws, hand axes, and all manner of tools. Tucked away in Amtala, past Azimpur's Chapra Mosque in Dhaka, this is where Ashik sculpts the faces — and other artworks.

Asked why he loves to carve faces so much, Ashiq said, "A person's face holds it all — joy, anger, pain, sorrow, thoughts, love, and hatred. In good times and bad, faces laugh or cry. I like to observe them closely and capture the stories they tell."

Another thing that resides in the face, he added, is power. Depending on one's position, everyone holds some degree of it.

It took some time for "power" to emerge as Ashiq's central theme, featuring the faces of influential world leaders such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un. 

First appearing in 2014, it has since remained the driving force behind his work. Last May, "Power" was also the focus of his solo exhibition at Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Obsessed with facial expressions

Since joining the DU Faculty of Fine Arts, he has been obsessed with capturing faces in sculpture. In 2012, he created a massive facial sculpture and covered it with dozens of small photographs of his own facial expressions throughout the day — an artwork he submitted to that year's National Fine Arts Exhibition.

Though his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) was officially completed in 2014, a 2013 Student Residency Fellowship from Bangladesh's Britto Art Trust took him to Nepal, where he spent a month at Kathmandu's Bindu – a space for artists. 

Surrounded by renowned Nepalese artists, including Sarogonga Darshandhari and Prithvi Shrestha, Ashiq sculpted 22 faces — 20 of them Shrestha's. The residency added a new dimension to his work, expanding both his technique and artistic vision.

Sculpting 'power'

In 2018, Ashiq's "Power" series captured the faces of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the same year they held a historic summit in Singapore. Trump famously said, "We fell in love," yet the world saw no lasting effect — both remained confined within the cages of power. 

Similarly, Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi oversaw the displacement of millions of Rohingya.

Unlike traditional artists, Ashik works a disciplined 10am to 8pm routine, sculpting the world's powerful people. War and peace, life and death — their decisions shape it all. 

Out of the world's seven billion people, only 20–25 wield such influence, yet millions are affected. Figures like Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping lead this group — and Ashik's Dhaka studio becomes their silent theatre.

A Journey into sculpture

Born in 1988 in Shibchar, Madaripur, Ashik's love for art began early. He was captivated by newspaper cartoons and book illustrations, and he picked up technique and colour sense from watching Mostafa Monowar's Moner Kotha on BTV. By fifth grade, he was already painting portraits of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, earning praise from his teachers.

Like many parents, Ashik's father initially wanted him to become a doctor or engineer, enrolling him in the science stream. But Ashik was determined to follow the arts. He gained admission to the Department of Sculpture at DU's Faculty of Fine Arts — graduating top of his class.

His teacher, sculptor Hamiduzzaman Khan, said, "Art speaks of life, and this is especially evident in Ashik's work. From the start, he was attentive and persevering. He has mastered exceptional skills and creativity. While the medium matters, the concept behind his work is even more important."

Exploring concept and form

After graduating, Britto, an academy founded by Mahbubur Rahman, became a new creative space for Ashik. He was fascinated by Rahman, who seemed skilled in every medium — from kinetic or moving objects to installations, video art, and soft sculpture.

Watching Rahman's work and engaging in discussions enriched Ashik's thinking. He increasingly focused on conceptual art, learning that even a simple chair could become art if infused with a strong idea.

Rahman has written about Ashik's work: His art is driven by thought and expression. To convey an idea, he sometimes preserves the material's natural quality, while other times he transforms it entirely.

Artist and art writer Mustafa Zaman noted, "Sculptor Aminul Islam Ashik conceives of art from a processual point of view – he sees it as a 'living process', to use his own words. His work testifies to his commitment to a set of existential concerns – all of which are produced while he acts in time."

"By extending his interest across society to understand power and polity, he attends to humans trapped in routine existence. He dissects world leaders to show their volatile position in a world of transition," he added. 

Choosing art over a job

Even after graduating top of his class and earning awards, Ashik didn't feel secure. He went to Krishi Bhaban seeking a job, where he met Humayra Kali, a fellow Faculty of Fine Arts graduate and his junior.

Kali told him, "Ashik Bhai, your work is exceptional — why take a job? Please, keep working independently."

They stayed in touch, sharing personal conversations, and eventually married. The stability this brought allowed Ashik to fully dedicate himself to his art.

In 2015, he attended an art residency in Kyoto, Japan, learning fine techniques, material beauty, and safety practices.

Reflecting on his approach, Ashik said, "Many people don't see me as an artist. I avoid long hair, beards, and paint-stained clothes. I don't stay up all night; I like to rise early. I work in my studio as if it were an office."

'Mayer Doa'

Power exists in everyone, in varying degrees, and Ashik explores this in his sculptures. 

In one piece, two beggars fight over a spot to beg. Each tries to dominate the other, but eventually one is defeated and must give up the space. Helpless, the loser raises his hands to the heavens, seeking mercy — and another sculpture is born.

Power also dwells in the deceitful and hypocritical. In Power of the Hypocrite, a figure wears a suit, sits in a rickshaw holding a mobile phone — yet its face is that of a goat.

In his installation Mayer Doa (Mother's Blessing), several pillows are stacked and bound with iron rods. When electrified, the structure trembles, symbolising city buildings where only the powerful can construct homes. These houses are rarely made earthquake-resistant, leaving the mother's blessing as the last hope.

Not all of Ashik's work dwells in despair. In his bronze sculpture Flow of Dreams, dozens of fish drift and float, inspired by the Buriganga River.

Ashik reflects, "Power doesn't only create conflict; it can also stop it. It protects humanity."