Syed Abdullah Khalid

Born & Death
1942-2017
Details
In the seventies, a young sculptor was regularly seen near the arts faculty of Dhaka University, with a hammer and chisel in his hands, working away day and night on a life-size structure. Even as curious pedestrians, rickshaw pullers, and university students gazed up to see what he was doing, the sculptor religiously worked on his piece. For Syed Abdullah Khalid, the sculpture ‘Auparajeo Bangla’ (Unvanquished Bengal) was a labour of love. The experience of being close to the freedom fighters during the War of 1971, made him want to create an artwork that would symbolise the sacrifice for the independence struggle. Commissioned in 1973 at the Dhaka University premises, ‘Auparajeo Bangla’ was completed in 1979 on a meagre budget. Although Khalid is remembered for this well-known public sculpture, he is responsible for many other works in cement, stone, fibreglass, ceramic and clay, as well as murals in pottery, metals or mosaic. A graduate of the College of Art and Crafts in Dhaka, Khalid received his master’s degree from the University of Chittagong. He received the Ekushey Padak in 2017, among other honours.

Some of Works