RAFIQUN NABI
Rafiqun Nabi’s practice is rooted in drawing and printmaking, where precision of line, conceptual clarity, and visual restraint define his distinctive artistic language. Working primarily in etching and pen-and-ink, he explores themes of time, solitude, freedom, and the complexities of human existence through recurring motifs such as birds, trees, human figures, and urban landscapes. His celebrated cartoon character Tokai, introduced in the 1970s, extends this practice into the realm of social commentary, offering a poignant reflection on poverty, resilience, and moral irony in post-independence Bangladesh.
Born in Chittagong in 1943, Rafiqun Nabi studied at the Government Institute of Arts and Crafts (now the Faculty of Fine Arts), University of Dhaka, graduating in 1963. Shortly after completing his studies, he joined the institution as a faculty member and went on to teach for several decades. Through his commitment to both artistic practice and education, he played a significant role in shaping generations of artists and contributing to the development of modern art in Bangladesh.
Nabi has exhibited extensively in Bangladesh and internationally through numerous solo and group exhibitions. His works have been presented at major cultural institutions and art platforms, where they are recognized for their intellectual depth, poetic sensibility, and understated visual power. His practice occupies a unique position within Bangladeshi modernism, balancing personal introspection with broader social and cultural observations.
His works are held in significant public and private collections in Bangladesh and abroad. Through a career spanning more than six decades, Rafiqun Nabi has made an enduring contribution to the fields of drawing, printmaking, and graphic art, establishing himself as one of the most influential artists in the country's modern art history.
Major Accolades:
National Book Centre Prize, Bangladesh (13x Winner from 1968-1990)
Promoters Prize, Inter Graphic-80, Berlin (1980)
National Art Award, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangladesh (1989)
Ekushey Padak, Government of Bangladesh (1993)
Agrani Bank Award for Children's Book Design, Bangladesh (1995)
Agrani Bank Award for Juvenile Novel “Chardike Juddha”, Bangladesh (1995)
Tri-Taranga Gold Medal, Chittagong, Bangladesh (2000)
S M Sultan Padak, Bangladesh (2002)
Hamidur Rahman Memorial Award, Bangladesh (2013)
Sheltech Medal, Bangladesh (2015)
