101st birth anniversary of legendary artist SM Sultan being celebrated

Today marks the 101st birth anniversary of legendary Bangladeshi artist SM Sultan, born on 10 August 1924 in Machimdia village of Narail, Bangladesh.

The birth centenary of the revered artist will be celebrated through a two-year programme featuring discussions, exhibitions, book publications and research initiatives, organisers announced these on Saturday evening at Bengal Shilpalay in the capital's Dhanmondi.

The inaugural event, a discussion titled 'The Legacy of Artist Sultan: Imagination, Beauty and the Politics of Uplifting the Common Man', was organised by the SM Sultan National and International Birth Centenary Celebration Committee.

Ekushey Padak-winning eminent photographer and Member Secretary of the committee Nasir Ali Mamun, in his welcome speech, said the centenary festivities had been stalled last year due to the post-uprising situation of the country in August 2024.

"This year, we are beginning a series of activities that will continue over two years, including art and photography exhibitions, seminars, symposiums, workshops and the SM Sultan Memorial Lectures," Mamun said, adding that books on the artist's life, works and philosophy would be published throughout the celebrations.

A video documentary by Mamun featured tributes from late sculptor Hamiduzzaman Khan; eminent artists Mustafa Monwar, Farida Zaman, Rokeya Sultana, Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, Kanak Chanpa Chakma; 1952 Language Movement veteran Ahmed Rafiq; writer Hasan Azizul Haq; educationist Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed; researcher Badruddin Umar; art critic Moinuddin Khaled; and researcher Shahman Moishan, among others.

This was followed by the unveiling of the book 'Sultan Khonon', edited by Mamun.

Dhaka University Professor-researcher Dr Shahman Moishan delivered the keynote speech, calling Sultan as an artist who rejected colonial cultural structures and modernist conventions to develop his own visual language rooted in humanity.

"Full of adventure and thrill — moving from town to town, sometimes suddenly disappearing and reappearing — Sultan's life is for us wrapped in mystery, illusion and curiosity; we see how Tareque Masud's film 'Adam Surat' and Nasir Ali Mamun's photographs capture that inward mystery. Sultan fashioned a mythic persona within history that mirrors the common people, and his life should be studied with utmost care," Shahman said.

Committee convenor and artist Monirul Islam highlighted Sultan's distinctive portrayal of muscular human figures without conventional backgrounds or shading. "In his paintings, Sultan depicted people with powerful musculature; his works do not employ conventional backdrops or shading, yet this self-taught artist forged his own distinctive style," Monirul said.

Bengal Foundation Chairman Abul Khair, Sultan's disciple Bimanesh Biswas, art critic Prof Abdus Sattar, Prof Abul Mansur and art critic Mustafa Zaman also spoke at the event.

Presiding over the event, Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed said: "SM Sultan captured the immense strength of rural people and portrayed people as larger than nature. He rendered the vigorous life of Bengalis in colour and line, and his figures look so distinctive to us for many reasons."

Recalling memories with Sultan, he added, "Talented people cannot be confined to a rigid mould - and Sultan was a testament of that. He loved plants and animals - even snakes; and he pursued learning on many subjects, and became one of our legendary self-taught figures."

Marking the 101st birth anniversary, SM Sultan Foundation, district administration, Shilpakala Academy and various socio-cultural organisations in Narail have taken up extensive programmes.

Renowned for his depictions of rural landscapes and robust peasants, Sultan exhibited his works internationally alongside legendary figures such as Picasso and Salvador Dali, and held solo shows in the US, UK, India and Pakistan.

He also established art institutes in Narail and Jessore.

As recognition of his works, the artist received the Ekushey Padak in 1982, the Bangladesh Charu Shilpi Sangsad Award in 1986, and the Independence Award in 1993.

Sultan passed away on 10 October 1994, leaving behind his lasting legacy.