After his fairly recent success at Sydney and Massachusetts, after 14 years of his non-stop battling against the slings and arrows of life, his present exhibition is certainly one worth watching and admiring. One got the impression of buildings juxtaposed close to each other, whereas in the earlier paintings there was a greater feeling of space and the colours had been more optimistic. The element of serenity had been done away with. There was a definite change in the vision.

Speaking at the gallery premises, talking about the change in his thought content and style of his mixed-media canvases, Salahuddin says about his paintings of old Dhaka, 'This aerial view with the intersecting dark, black lines brings in the overcrowded situation in old Dhaka, which has deteriorated over the time. The lanes and by lanes of the place are getting despicable. The harsh effect is to accentuate the fact that the environment of old Dhaka has become insufferable so that there are no trees that once were a normal part of the scenario. Now what you can witness is the jerry-built concrete jungles of the quick rich developers. Recently, there has been a disaster in Shakhari Bazaar. I fear that if an earthquake occurs in future, the consequences will be disastrous for Dhaka as there would be no space for people to escape to.'

Continuing in the same vein, Salahuddin added, 'I lament the passing away of the heritage of old Dhaka. I understand that this is an economic necessity for people. However, pressure must be built up on the urban planners and the intelligentsia for the preservation of the older part of the metropolis. What we presently see is economic progress with indifference to the environmental disaster. That's the reason for the congested images and dark hues.' The snake-like intertwining black sections were there again to drive home the point that this ugly image will be our future when space is destroyed in our modern, mechanical existence.

Asked about whether he did not wish to venture into newer pastures rather than dwelling on a single theme, Salahuddin said that he had not yet completed his incursions into a subject that is dear to his heart and which one can paint for a lifetime and more. 'The situation is getting worse every day and this has to be impressed upon,' he said. He felt no ennui handling the same theme as each time there were newer subjects, styles and techniques. His heart is in old Dhaka and this is what he knows best. The subject is not overexposed he feels, and in fact, he asserts vehemently, remains yet to be completely comprehended by local authorities. Each exhibition has variations and hopefully adds to the awareness of the grave current situation. Creativity in urban planning is being trammeled, he feels.

Again, Salahuddin is constantly haunted by his childhood memories of the place where he was born and brought up. He cannot dispel the idyll, which has gone with the wind from his mind. 'Thus the use of repeat theme of seeing Dhaka from different perspectives,' he said.

Dwelling on the variation of his technique, Salahuddin elaborates that he has used paper collages of newspapers and cast off cigarette packs, apart from the use of the serpentine jet-black lines. Touching on his mode of work, he elaborates that he works on each canvas at a time and in the morning when there is natural light.

Salahuddin has had seven local and overseas awards, 18 national and international solo exhibitions, and has taken part in nine group exhibitions.