Flowing through each canvas, Kamruzzoha art offers viewers the opportunity to behold sceneries halted in the softened embrace of time.
Surprised at how “machine-like” people have become, the multifaceted artist explains, “The interesting bit is that a place I may visit will never be the same later down the line. If I revisit a spot I went to only six months before, it won’t be the same, it may not even be there. It deteriorates, with buildings, industries, and human-made destruction of nature. I see these things and it impacts me, bleeding into my art. I like to take an aspect of the landscape and place it in my art. Even when these aspects of nature no longer exist, they have a home in my works.”
Born in Meherpur, the painter’s introduction to art came through the guiding hand of his brother, who, despite his unmixed artistic dreams, found fulfillment in Kamruzzoha’s brushstrokes. “Everyone learns how to draw before they ever learn the alphabet. Those pieces of art are their first introduction to language– at least it was mine. My brother was the person who placed a paintbrush in my hand for the first time. His tremendous support for my artistic life offered me the opportunity I have to live my life as an artist. He has lived his dream through me.”
Kamruzzoha’s formal artistic education began at Khulna Art College, going on to finish his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Development Alternative UODA in 2010. He received a The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship at the Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata where he completed his Masters in the same discipline in 2013.
Explaining his views on the artistic discipline in education Kamruzzoha states, “Universities, any educational institution actually, they show us a path. But I don’t think they can create artists. They offer a dream, but the student must nurture that dream and give it life. The thing about art is that it is a journey in itself. For an artist, their entire life is a part of their art.”
He often finds himself a part of the scenery, enjoying creating art amid the soft winds of nature and all its enigmas. “Bangladesh, it fascinates me. The rivers, the land, the people and their lives, everything– I bring all of these into my works.”
Not one to be bound by one medium, the artist dabbles in watercolor, sketching, charcoal, oil, acrylics, dry point, and even printmaking. Intrigued by traditional folk art, its “forms, colors”, the Rabindra Bharati graduate relates his works to these unique elements, carving out a place for them in “modern times”.
Currently working as a freelance artist, Kamruzzoha has numerous accolades and has exhibited art in various galleries both nationally and internationally. His first solo exhibition in the year 2000, showcased 40 pieces of art created with multiple mediums. “I’m making more landscapes as of late, but at the same time, I’m working on my abstract and semi-abstract pieces.
I prefer my semi-abstract work, it gives me a sense of ease.
states Kamruzzoha. Speaking on the artist’s experience, Kamruzzoha highlights their struggles for recognition and existence.
“There are many artists who practice their craft over their entire lifetime, only to have never made a name for themselves.
In terms of blocks, there are certain financial aspects necessary for day-to-day living. Artists do exhibitions at various galleries and some collectors collect the art. But this is unfortunately still on a smaller scale in Bangladesh at the moment. I do however see a shift in people, they are slowly opening their hearts and minds to the idea of collecting art. It’s a slow shift, but it is a shift nonetheless.”
