MOHAMMAD IQBAL
Mohammad Iqbal’s practice is distinguished by its nuanced exploration of the human figure through a painterly language that balances representation with abstraction. Working primarily in painting, he investigates the relationship between form, gesture, and the painted surface, where layered textures and subtle spatial constructions evoke themes of identity, memory, and the psychological dimensions of human existence. His works reveal a sustained engagement with both technical precision and the expressive possibilities of abstraction.
Born in Chuadanga, Bangladesh, in 1967, Mohammad Iqbal completed his Master's degree at the Institute of Fine Arts (now the Faculty of Fine Arts), University of Dhaka, in 1989. He later earned a Master of Education in Fine Arts from Aichi University of Education, Japan, in 2003, followed by a Doctorate in Fine Arts from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 2010. Supported by the Japanese Government's Monbukagakusho Scholarship in 1999, his academic and artistic experiences in Japan played a significant role in shaping his distinctive visual language. He currently serves as a faculty member at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka.
Iqbal has exhibited extensively through solo and group exhibitions in Bangladesh and internationally. His works have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Osaka International Triennale Special Prize (1993), the Silver Prize at the 14th Shinwa Art Exhibition, Okayama (2002), the International Friendship Award at the Kyoto Arts Festival (2002), and the Superiority Prize at the 19th National Kyoto Cultural Festival (2004). In 2019, he presented a major solo exhibition at Edge Gallery, Dhaka.
His works are held in public and private collections in Bangladesh and abroad. Through a practice that unites technical mastery with conceptual depth, Mohammad Iqbal has established himself as one of the leading contemporary painters of his generation.
Major Accolades:
Class best Award, Annual Art Exhibition, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka (1984)
Best Award for Oil Painting, Annual Art Exhibition, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka (1988)
Honorable Mention Award, Cardama Art and Photo Contest, Dhaka (1989)
Best Award for Experimental Painting, Annual Art Exhibition, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka (1990)
Best Award for Experimental Painting, Annual Art Exhibition, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka (1991)
Special Prize, International Triennial Competition of Painting, Osaka Triennial 1993, Osaka, Japan 1993)
Best Award for Oil Painting, 1st Annual Art Exhibition, Gallery Shilpangan, Dhaka, Bangladesh (1994)
Honorable Mention Award, 11th National Art Exhibition, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (1994)
Grand Prize, 10th National Young Artists Art Exhibition, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (1994)
Best Award for Oil Painting, 2nd Annual Art Exhibition, Gallery Shilpangan, Dhaka (1995)
Grand Prize, 12th National Young Artists Art Exhibition, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (1998)
Artist Quamrul Hassan Memorial Honour Award, National Rabindra Sangeet Council, Dhaka (1999)
Japanese Government MONBUSHO Scholarship, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (1999)
International Friendship Award 2002, Amano Hashi Date Arts Festival, Amano Hashi Date Arts Festival, Kyoto, Japan (2002)
Silver Prize, 14th Shinwa Art Exhibition, Okayama, Japan, (2002)
Superiority Prize in the Western-style painting division, 19th National Culture Festival, Fukuoka, Japan (2004)
City Mayor Award, Maebashi Art Compe Live 2005, Maebashi, Japan (2005)
Grand Prize, The 14th National Memorial Exhibition of Aoki, Japan (2005)
Kaiseikai Foundation Grants, Japan (2007)
Rotary Club Scholarship, Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation, Tokyo, Japan (2008)
Nomura Award (Grand Prize), Doctoral Program Final Exhibition, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan (2010)
Atish Diponkor Gold Medal in Fine Arts, Atish Dipankar Research Association, Dhaka, Bangladesh (2015)
