Mrinal Haque

Sculptor Mrinal Haque
মৃনাল হক

One of Haque's sculptures in Dhaka
Born Mrinal Haque
September 9, 1958
Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Nationality Bangladeshi
Known for Sculpture

Mrinal Haque (বাংলা: মৃনাল হক, born 1958) is a renowned Bangladeshi sculptor. Appointed by the Government of Bangladesh, he is best known for making murals on the city streets of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.[1]

Education

Born in Rajshahi, East Pakistan (presently Bangladesh), he joined the Art Institution in 1977 received his BA from The Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University and works primarily with clay, marble, plaster, cement, bronze, copper, terracotta and wood. He has done over 36000 sq. ft. of work in mosaic painting.

Career

Sculpture by Haque depicted the Bangladesh Liberation War.

His exhibition held at the Consulate of Bangladesh in New York City, celebrating the 28th anniversary of Independence of Bangladesh carrying the themes of the Liberation War. Haque's sculpture, mosaic painting and murals can be seen in several notable locations such as the gardens and in the streets of Jackson Heights in Queens, NY.[2] New York City Transit Authority has chosen him to create mosaic for several years. His works have already been proclaimed by many media[3][4] and recently he was interviewed by CNN which was shown several times.[5]

His work has been exhibited across the globe in thirty different countries. He was twice featured in Osaka Bi-annual Art and Sculpture Exhibition in Japan and then again in France and India. He also held exhibitions in China, five time solo exhibitions in Bangladesh, Singapore and Malaysia, and also a seven time feature of the Asian Bi-annual Art Exhibition. He has participated in various other exhibitions such as National Art Exhibition, a total of fourteen times, and seven times in the National Sculpture Exhibition of Bangladesh.

Works

Awarded four times in sculpture from the Fine Arts Institute of Bangladesh, his notable works include:[6]

  • 500 ft x 5 ft mosaic tile Mural at the entrance of the Zia International Airport in Dhaka, which portrays industrial, cultural and agricultural life of Bangladesh.
  • 450 ft x 30 ft mosaic painting at the V.V.I.P terminal of Zia International Airport, Dhaka where foreign dignitaries are given guard of honor and red carpet reception facing the painting
  • 41 ft high sculpture of six Crane Birds stands at the heart of the capital of Bangladesh. This piece is the tallest in the country.
  • 30 ft x 10 ft mural & 8 ft high sculpture at the Bangladesh Rifles Headquarters main entrance.
  • 100 ft x 100 ft mosaic painting on the history of the Bangladesh Liberation War.
  • 14 ft high 6 sculptures of Freedom fighters at the Police Headquarters in Bangladesh.
  • 20 ft sculpture of giraffe and other animals in Rajshahi Park in Bangladesh and all the sculpture and dioramas at the National Museum in Dhaka
  • 3 large Murals in Rajshahi Airport.
  • 100 ft x 100 ft mosaic painting at the residence of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Mural and portrait of Melvin Jones at Lions headquarters in Dhaka.

He is also creating a 3 ft x 3 ft symbol of New York City, which will be placed in the Battery Park, New York City. The primary foundation of this symbol is clay, which will be covered by gold sheet.

Incidents

Eight Muslims from the fundamentalist Islamic group Ulama Anjumane Al Baiyeniat in Dhaka, Bangladesh, were arrested for damaging a group of six white stork sculptures made by Haque.The men all armed with shovels and hammers began damaging the 41 ft (12.5m) tall structures after an attempt to pull them down with ropes failed. The group claimed fatwa against statues in general because they are seen as a form of idol worship. The eight have been charged with creating chaos and attacking security officials. Haque had stated the statues which were erected in 1989 had nothing to do with Islam.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Mrinal Haque's "Protyasha" to be unveiled today
  2. ↑ Alperson, Myra (September 2003). Nosh New York: The Food Lover's Guide to New York City's Most Delicious Neighborhoods. NY: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-312-30417-1.
  3. ↑ Mrinal Haque in RTV (Ajker Bangladesh)
  4. ↑ Mrinal Haque in Ittadi Magazine Program on BTV
  5. ↑ CNN Headline News
  6. ↑ Metal peacocks and fibre glass fish: Mrinal Haque's Work
  7. ↑ Islamists held for damaging sculpture

External links