Workshops/Art Camps Attended

Rezaul Hoque’s unique artwork was born out of an abrupt accident: while living in his university housing, he dropped one of his drawings on a heater and it briefly burned in the heater’s fire. After overcoming his initial sadness, he began to scrutinize the drawing and found its lines had become soft, creating an illusory effect. Since then, Hoque has been manipulating heat convection theory in his unique artistic process. The themes of his work are exploitation, deprivation, rights, inequality, struggle, hope, despair, and the different deep-seated perceptions of life others have. Hoque employs these themes to advocate for a more equal society through his art. He conveys his thematic concerns through both subject matter and technique, as his process also comments on the feeling of being burnt by life’s struggles.

In addition to being an artist, Hoque works as a material development consultant with NGOs like OXFAM and CARE. He designs illustrations for communications and training materials on various issues like education, gender, and women’s rights. Hoque feels passionately about social justice and believes that art plays a role in bringing the plight of deprived people to the fore. This is ultimately what he aims to do with his work: spread awareness and wield it to advocate for justice. Hoque currently lives and works in Bangladesh, where he participates in the local artist community. He has exhibited in national exhibitions, the Asian Biennale, and has even donated his works to various causes for fundraising purposes.

• Attended 5 day long Drawing and Painting workshop on “Post Modern Art” organized by New York Academy of Art in New York, USA in March 2014
• Attended 5 daylong global conference, organized by International Reading Association (IRA) in Chicago, USA in April-May 2012
• Assisted a three daylong international workshop on “CEVAW (Domestic Violence) Communication Material Development” arranged by Oxfam in Colombo, Sri Lanka in February 2005.
• A 3-month long workshop on “Graphic Design” in 1992, organized by Department of Graphic Design of Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, Dr. Berry Myren Burg from USA was the facilitator.
• Attended Art camp organized by Shipakala Academy in February 2016

Profile of Rezaul Hoque

Rezaul Hoque is a professional artist, having completed his graduation from the Institute of Fine Arts under the University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.Alongside working with other artists, his last worked in 2014 with Alyssa Monks,of the New York Academy of Art, New York, USA.

Since 1993 Reza has been experimentinganddevelopeda unique technique of his own signature, alongside doing regular and traditional paintings and illustrations. The innovation created by Reza is painting using heat convection which creates a soft illusion adding an atypical dimension and presenting a different aesthetic.

Exhibitions: As a student, and later as a professional, he participated in many Bangladeshi art exhibitions. His first solo art exhibition was in his hometown of Kurigram (1998) in Northern Bangladesh which consisted of 24 paintings. His second solo exhibition titled Line & Expression was in Dhaka (2002), held at the Indian Cultural Centre. This was a series of drawings depicting mostly human figures in everyday life showing different emotions as well as some paintings were of his own experimenting technique. Participation at other recent exhibitions includes – ‘Celebrating 27 years of SAARC’ painting exhibition at Maldives and Nepal in 2013 and ‘JainulUtshab’ painting exhibition at

Mymensingh, Bangladesh (2014-2015) and the 22^nd National Art Exhibition in 2017,organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Reza’s artistic philosophy:Reza feels that pain is the foundation of creation. Pain and sorrow not only hurts the mind and soul but also gives birth to new thought and thus the foundation of any concept of creation. If this thought process can be correctly driven and handled then it gives birth to a new dimension. He feels that pain in its various forms is the basis of evolution of human civilization.

Reza was born in one the poorest districts of Bangladesh at a time when people died of hunger and lack of medical services. Despite the hardship, he felt the simple and honest people of his district faced these challenges with unfaltering resolve and confidence and continued to see dreams of a beautiful life. Reza spent his childhood around these people and strives to depict their suffering and strength through his paintings. Obviously the subjects of his paintings are humans and their emotions. Based on the principle of heat transfer through convection, he creates images that of people tempered like gold who dream of a hopeful future.His work has a strong emphasis on creative techniques.

Reza aims to communicate through his images not the abjectness of the people but their strength and dreams. Reza strives to present a new aesthetic while making his painting also thought-provoking.

Major Exhibitions

• Solo Art Exhibition in 1988, Kurigram inaugurated by the Kurigram District Commissioner.
• Solo Art Exhibition in 2002 at Dhaka inaugurated by Artist RafiqunNabi.
• 6th Biennale Art Exhibition in 1993, organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
• 10^th National Art Exhibition in 1992,organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
• 11^th National Art Exhibition in 1994, organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
• 22^nd National Art Exhibition in 2017,organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
• 10^th National Young Artist Art Exhibition in 1994, organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
• Participated celebrating 27 years of SAARC painting exhibition at Maldives and Nepal in 2013.
• Participated different Group Art Exhibitions from 2001 to 2019 at different region of Bangladesh and abroad.

Collections        

1. National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
2. Private collections in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UK, Netherlands, USA.

Article

Review of Artist Rezaul Hoque’s unique works under spotlight: Fire not only burns, it also creates (Published in Daily Star (A leading National News Paper in Bangladesh), dated: August 5, 2019): https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/news/fire-not-only-burns-it-also-creates-1781737

Workshops Conducted      

1. Conducted a daylong workshop on “How to develop pictorial Poster/ Flipchart for rural people”.
2. Conducted a daylong workshop on “How to develop pictorial Academic Poster”. 40 people participated in these workshops from different CARE Projects in November 2000.

Awards

• 5^th, 7^th and 8^th round worldwide contest ArtSlant Prize 2016 showcase winner in Painting category.
• All Media Best Award in 1988, at Annual Art Exhibition of the Department of Fine Arts of Rajshahi University.
• Media Best Award in 1988, at Annual Art Exhibition of the Department of Fine Arts of Rajshahi University.