Anisul Hoque picks up the paintbrush

Anisul Hoque is popularly known as a screenwriter, novelist, dramatist and journalist. He has now acquired a new avatar. The poet has turned a painter-- a talent that goes back to his childhood.

“When I was in eighth grade, my wall magazine, edited and created by me at Rangpur, came first three times in competitions at Bangladesh Shishu Academy where eminent artist Hashem Khan and renowned poet Asad Chowdhury were judges. Later, when I worked at the weekly 'Saptahik Deshbondhu', I watched noted artist Shishir Bhattacharya sketching cartoons and I personally thought of suppressing my inner urge to paint; as Shishir Bhattacharya's work was too good,” said Hoque.

“I have been regularly painting for one and a half years. Marking a colleague's birthday, I did his portrait and presented it to him on his special day. Thus I continued doing portraits of Nobel Laureate Tagore, modern poet Jibanananda Das, ambidextrous litterateur Syed Shamsul Haq, popular filmmaker Mostafa Sarwar Farooki, painter Goutam Chakraborty and many others. I presented the portrait to Syed Shamsul Haq and he appreciated my effort. I did calligraphic work with excerpts from his famous 'Nurul Diner Sara Jibon'. Bangla Academy made a billboard with the painting as part of their homage to the poet after his demise,” he added.

Portraits and nature are Hoque's favourite subjects which he depicts in diverse media like pencil sketch, pen and ink, watercolour and acrylic. One of his watercolours, titled “Dhaka City After Rain” was picked up rapidly by screenwriter Syed Gousul Alam Shaon, managing director, Grey Advertising Bangladesh Limited.

About his solo exhibition, Hoque said, “Goutam Chakraborty, a freelance painter and director of Galleri Kaya, asked me to hold my exhibition at his gallery.”