SM Sultan’s 95th birth anniversary observed

The 95th birth anniversary of renowned artist SM Sultan was observed at Sultan Smriti Sangrahashala and Shilpakala Academy premises in Narail yesterday.

On the occasion, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organised two-day-long ‘Sultan Utsab-2019’.

Sultan Foundation also organised various programmes including placing of wreath at the grave of the artist, reciting from the Holy Quran and a discussion.

Yesterday, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organised daylong programmes at Sultan Smriti Sangrahashala and art competition, boat ride for children on the Chitra river, prize giving ceremony, workshop for children, folk song concert, poetry recital, screening of documentary show and art exhibition on the academy premises.

Today, a discussion session is scheduled to be held at 5:00pm on the district Shilpakala Academy premises.

SM Sultan was born on August 10 in 1923 in Narail’s Masimdia village. His full name is Sheikh Mohammad Sultan and his father’s name is Sheikh Messer, a mason by profession.  

In 1928, Sultan’s formal schooling began at Narail Victoria Collegiate School where he studied for only five years. Being greatly influenced by his father’s works in building houses, he started drawing and painting during his free time.

At the age of ten, while Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee -- the illustrious son of Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, a renowned Bengali scholar and thinker -- was visiting Narail Victoria Collegiate School, Sultan drew his pencil sketch. The pencil sketch impressed Dr Mukherjee and others.

Sultan was unable to fulfil his wish of studying art in Kolkata due to financial constraints of his family.  

Finally, in 1938, zamindar Dhirendra Nath Roy, an art aficionado, became the patron of Sultan’s works and brought him to his residence in Kolkata where he stayed for three years.

He soon embarked on a career of freelance painter of portraits and landscapes in Kolkata. He also joined the Khaksar Movement in 1943.

In 1950, Sultan toured New York, Washington, Chicago and Boston in USA where he held exhibitions of his works. Later on, he held exhibitions of the same in London, UK.

The artist joined international conference of painters in USA in 1950 as the representative of the erstwhile Pakistan government. In 1951, he left for Karachi, where he taught art at Parsee School for two years.

He returned to Narail in 1953. A lifelong bachelor, Sultan settled down in an abandoned building overlooking the Chitra river. He lived there with an adopted family along with a number of pet animals including dogs, mongoose and monkeys. Sultan later built a mini-zoo near his home. There he also built a school for children.

In 1984, the Bangladesh government conferred the Ekushey Padak on SM Sultan and Cambridge University declared him the Man of Asia.

He was honoured with Swadhinata Padak in 1993 and Charushilpi Sangsad Sammanana in 1986. The Bangladesh government accepted him as the resident artist.

Sultan died in Jashore Combined Military Hospital on October 10, 1994. He was buried at the yard of his own house in Masimdia-Kurigram area of Narail town.