Assam's foremost contemporary artist Aminul Haque has traversed many a path with his brush and palette portraying varied subjects, forms and moods from a region rich and unique in its distinctive cultural ethos.
The artist's ongoing exhibition of 31 canvases at the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi is a testimony to the varied nuances of his artistic journey of more than four decades.
"My art draws deeply from different facets of people's daily existence or the momentary desire to escape from the mundane, nature in its varied forms and colour, emotions and moods of common people," Haque says.
Haque is primarily a self-taught artist who has explored and experimented with themes, styles, structure, frames and colour for almost four decades.
The subjects of almost all his canvas are closely linked to the land from where the artist hails--the land of the Red River and Blue Hills--and Haque's brush giving a colourful and exotic visual imagery to each painting.
"As an artist, I have tried not to restrict myself within the confines of a particular school or group of art movement, but am always eager to explore different aspects of life and nature," he says.
Folk elements are predominant in many of his canvases with traditional practices of community fishing and also by women common among several tribes of the state find a place in his canvases 'Ballad of Fishing' and 'Community Fishing'.
Tea gardens--an inextricable part of Assam's landscape and culture is also given a creative space in his canvas.
"Assam is etched deep in the inner recesses of my mind and people from diverse background live here--it is their life, livelihood and cultural ethos along with the rich natural landscape are inextricably linked to my art," he says.
Music is another element that occupies a prominent place
in Haque's art and he devotes a considerable part of his creative sensibilities in portraying musical allusions and its varied nuances on some of his canvases.
"I have written lyrics of several Assamese songs in the past, and so it is but natural that musical elements get reflected in my art," he says.
'Divine Tune', 'A musical evening', 'Old Melody', 'On a Baul Song' are some of his paintings that deserve a special mention for its lilting musical rhythm.
Haque also portrays women in his canvases in a very distinctive manner with each portraying a different facet of womanhood.
"I try to portray women in their various forms, moods, their activities, their languid motions and a very distinctive figurative representation and facial expressions," he adds.
Colour is Haque's forte and the strokes of the brush in vibrant hues reflecting the bright and vast open landscape of the region he hails from along with the rich tapestry of people's lives.
Haque's canvases speak eloquently and are a visual delight, luring viewers for its vibrant hues and rhythmic compositions, Gauhati Artist Guild Secretary Kishore Das says.
Closely associated with the contemporary art movement of Assam, the artist is the founding member and former President and General Secretary of Gauhati Artist Guild.
