Kaiser Haq: The fact that you are the senior most sculptor in Bangladesh today tells us something about the position of the art form in our culture, doesn't it? Hamiduzzaman Khan: Yes, it does indeed. Our art tradition is much stronger in painting and graphics than in sculpture. Except for Professor Razzaque and Novera our senior artists didn't show much interest in the form. Professor Razzaque's recent death is a great loss, since he can be called the founding father of the tradition of modern sculpture in the country. Novera has deservedly become a legend. She showed remarkable courage and energy during her years as an active artist in Dhaka. Her disappearance from the scene and her reclusive existence somewhere in France are perhaps the most intriguing episodes in our brief art history. K.H.: Your own interest in sculpture seems to have developed rather late. Could you tell us the story of how you became drawn to sculpture? H.K.: My first degree, from what was then the Dhaka Government College of Arts and Crafts, was in painting. I finished my degree in 1967 and then for two years freelanced in order to save money to go abroad for treatment. You see, I had suffered a serious traffic accident that fractured my skull and literally left me with a hole in my head. There was a bit of skull that had been severed and even after I had been patched up in hospital I only had skin over the place where I had lost skull bone. Even a slight injury in that place could now be fatal. I needed reconstructive surgery, which couldn't be done in the country. Dr Asiruddin, who was a high-ranking physician in the government health service, helped me go abroad. I went to Edinburgh, whose General Hospital has a worldwide reputation. As I was a student from a Commonwealth country, the hospital authorities waived all fees and I went through successful reconstructive surgery. The money I had taken with me, I spent on travelling for five months. I visited the museums and art galleries in Britain. I was particularly fascinated by the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National and Tate galleries. I felt drawn to sculpture, especially Henry Moore's work, of which I saw a lot. Then I went to Paris and Italy, and there too the sculptures I saw were an eyeopener. I realized what potential lay in this form to create an aesthetic effect that would be accessible to
Hanging Sculpture, 2003 SS Pipe. Brass and Copper World Bank. Dhaka
all. Most paintings are private possessions or housed in museums and are not seen by the majority of people. But throughout Europe I saw stunning sculptures in public places. They bridged art and ordinary life. People and traffic swirled around masterpieces that had withstood the depredations of the elements for centuries. I felt impelled to try my hand at this robust art form. K.H: Was it only Western sculpture that attracted you to this form? H.K: No, no. On my way to Britain—I went by ship—we stopped for a few days at the port of Dakar. There I was impressed and charmed by traditional African sculpture. There were exquisite ebony figures.
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