### Lesson: Zainul Abedin, the Great Artist #### A. Reading Read the text and answer the questions that follow. **Zainul Abedin: Chronicling Human Suffering Through Art** The pioneer of Bangladeshi modern art, Zainul Abedin, is widely acclaimed for his Bengal ‘Famine Sketches’. Through this series of sketches, Zainul not only documented the harsh famine of 1943 but also showed its sinister face through the skeletal figures of people destined to die of starvation in a man-made plight. He depicted these extremely shocking pictures with human compassion. He made his own ink by burning charcoal and used cheap, ordinary packing paper for sketching. Using the ink and applying the brush where necessary, he produced drawings and sketches that later became iconic images of human suffering. Zainul developed a knack for drawing and painting when he was a high school student. After completing high school, he took admission to the Government School of Art, Calcutta (now Kolkata). He graduated with first position in first class in 1938. He was appointed as a teacher of the Art School while he was still a student there. He also attended the Slade School of Arts, London, from 1951-52. Zainul Abedin is considered the founding father of Bangladeshi art. He was an artist of outstanding talent and earned an international reputation. For his artistic and visionary qualities, he is referred to as *Shilpacharya*, meaning ‘great teacher of art’ in Bangladesh. He was the first Principal of the first art school in Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He organized the *Nabanna* (harvest) exhibition in 1969. The exhibition included a 65-foot-long scroll portraying rural East Pakistan in phases from abundance to poverty. This intensified the already heightened non-cooperation movement against the Pakistan regime. The exhibition was symbolic of the Bangalee artists' protest and a milestone in our struggle for cultural and political freedom. Zainul's dynamic style of work is evident in a 30-foot-long scroll painting called *Manpura*, which was done to commemorate the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in the devastating cyclone of 1970. He designed the pages of the Constitution of Bangladesh. He founded the Folk Art Museum at Sonargaon and also *Zainul Abedin Shangrahasala*, a gallery of his own works in Mymensingh, in 1975. The river Brahmaputra played a vital role in his paintings and was a source of inspiration throughout his career. Much of his childhood was spent near the scenic river Brahmaputra. A series of watercolors that Zainul painted as his tribute to the river earned him the Governor’s Gold Medal in an all-India exhibition in 1938. This was the first time he came into the spotlight, and this award gave him the confidence to create his own visual style. Zainul Abedin was born in Kishoreganj on 29 December 1914 and died in Dhaka on 28 May 1976. *[Adapted from The Daily Star, Thursday, July 16, 2012]* **Questions:** 1. Write in detail how Zainul Abedin portrayed the sufferings of people. 2. What influence did the river Brahmaputra have on Zainul Abedin? How did he show this influence in his works? 3. What recognition did these works earn him in his life? 4. How did his art help intensify the non-cooperation movement against the Pakistani regime? #### B. Picture Interpretation (Pictures not provided) Look at the series of pictures below. Work in groups and discuss them. Now, briefly write about what each picture portrays. **(Note: Please refer to the pictures provided with your original lesson materials)** #### C. Listening (Audio not provided) Listen to the audio and tick the word(s) you hear. **(Note: Please refer to the audio provided with your original lesson materials)** 1. The US Ambassador to Bangladesh considered Zainul Abedin a: * a) great pain to * b) popular painter * c) master painter * d) unique painter 2. Zainul’s art gallery was set up in: * a) 1972 * b) 1973 * c) 1974 * d) 1975 3. The number of Zainul’s artworks preserved in the gallery is: * a) 53 * b) 62 * c) 65 * d) 75 4. The US Ambassador commented that the museum is a global: * a) wealth * b) asset * c) gift * d) treasure 5. The US Ambassador was in the gallery for: * a) 3 hours * b) 2 hours * c) 1 hour * d) ½ hour #### D. Listening Comprehension (Audio not provided) Listen to the audio again and answer the questions. 1. Where is Zainul’s art gallery located? 2. When did the Ambassador visit the gallery? 3. Who else was there with the Ambassador during his visit? 4. Which artworks of Zainul did the Ambassador specifically mention? 5. How did the Ambassador feel after visiting the gallery? **(Note: Please refer to the audio provided with your original lesson materials)**