'His portraits are priceless'
This was said by Monirul Islam, Ekushey medalist, at the opening ceremony of Nasir Ali Mamun's 67th solo photography exhibition titled 'Photogeum: Faces of Memory and Oblivion' at the capital's Bangla Academy on Tuesday morning.
Referring to portrait photography as a very sensitive art medium, Monirul Islam said that to take a good portrait, one has to capture not only the external appearance, but also the inner personality of the person. Sometimes a photographer has to wait for hours for the right moment. Capturing the exact moment in that one second or less is what makes a successful photo. From that point of view, he also thinks that it is important to preserve the photographs of Nasir Ali Mamun for the future generations.
Monirul Islam also said, 'The basic idea of photography and painting is the same, but the way of expression is different. Photography is painting with light and painters draw with brush or pencil. But the creation process is the same.
Bangla Academy President Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque presided over the event. He said, the greatness of a writer or artist cannot be seen if his work is separated from his life. From that point of view, the work that Nasir Ali Mamun is doing to preserve the photographs of the writers is very important. He is looking for a museum where these pictures will be kept with care.
Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque said about the pictures in the exhibition, seeing these pictures will give new ideas about the life and work of the writers. If the young generation gets to know about the writers through these films, it will play an important role in the national life.
Photographer Nasir Ali Mamun gave a welcome speech on the occasion. He said, 'The world is celebrating two hundred years of photography. 1826 to 2026—I have been active for 56 years in this long period, and I consider myself very lucky.'
Expressing gratitude to Bangla Academy, Nasir Ali Mamun said, Bangla Academy discovered Nasir Ali Mamun in 1977. My first solo photography exhibition was held at the Bangla Academy Book Fair in 1977.
Nasir Ali Mamun also explained the reason why this event is called 'Photozeum'. He said, "This is one of my suggested museums. Here the best people from different fields of the country, famous people...portraits, letters, handwritings, manuscripts, diaries and audio-visual materials will be kept for permanent exhibition within the walls of the museum.'
In his welcome speech, Director General of Bangla Academic Mohammad Azam said, Nasir Ali Mamun's photography means that it will have different kinds of innovation, different kinds of consonance. Unseen, unspoken, unrealized—the unfolding of the underlying significance of many things. As a result, those who see the pictures displayed here, will get a glimpse of many strangers among the familiar. You will get creative ideas.
After the ceremony, the exhibition was inaugurated by cutting the ribbon on the ground floor of Burdwan House of Bangla Academy. Some rare photographs of the country's famous late poets, writers, essayists, researchers and fiction writers are displayed on two floors. Notable among them are the portraits of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, pallikbi Jasimuddin, poet Shamsur Rahman, poet Al Mahmud, writer Ahmad Chafa, fiction writer Humayun Ahmed.
The exhibition will continue till April 30. The exhibition will be open to all from 14 to 20 April daily from 10 am to 7 pm and from 21 to 30 April from 9 am to 4 pm.
Source: Prothom Alo Bangla
