Matlub Ali’s 80th birthday celebrated with retrospective exhibition

A stormy Baishakhi evening could not dampen the spirit of those who gathered at Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts to pay tribute to one of Bangladesh’s most versatile artistic figures.

The Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University marked the 80th birth anniversary of Professor Matlub Ali on the evening of April 26 with an exhibition of his paintings, live musical performances, and a tribute discussion. The event was held at the Osman Jamil Auditorium of the faculty, and despite heavy rain and strong winds, the hall was filled with the artist’s admirers, former students, and colleagues.

Matlub Ali was not only an artist but also a book cover designer, lyricist, composer, critic, playwright, and essayist. Born on April 17, 1946, in Rangpur, he spent the greater part of his professional life at the University of Dhaka. He joined the Department of Drawing and Painting at the then College of Arts and Crafts, became a professor in 1999, served as chairman of the Department of History of Art in 2011 and the Department of Sculpture in 2012, and was dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts from 2010 to 2012. He retired in 2013 and passed away on November 4, 2025.

As a lyricist, Matlub Ali wrote over a thousand songs for prominent singers in both India and Bangladesh. He also completed more than two hundred book cover designs, with his line drawings widely regarded as unique within the genre. His contributions to mass music were highlighted by colleagues who spoke at the event. He was also known as a serious critic, having written extensively on Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and Rabindranath Tagore.

Emeritus Professor Hashem Khan, who knew him as both a student and a colleague, recalled that Matlub Ali was deeply involved in the progressive cultural movements of the 1960s. He was among the founders of the first Nabanna Utsav, organised by students and teachers of the Faculty of Fine Arts. He was also a founding member of the art group Karika, which organised annual exhibitions at the then Shahbagh Hotel from 1963 to 1966.

His artworks reflect the sensibilities of a philosopher and carry traditional, historical, and anthropological dimensions. He closely observed his subjects and sought to highlight their temperament and disposition. Musician Rafiqul Alam noted at the event that Matlub Ali’s many creative commitments may have limited the time he could devote to painting during his active career. After retirement, however, he turned his attention more fully to the canvas. His 11th solo exhibition, titled “Varnil Anbesha”, was displayed across Zainul Gallery 1 and 2 of the faculty, featuring 102 works in various media drawn from different periods of his career.

The initiative to hold this programme was taken by Mouri Ali Pushpita, the artist’s daughter. On the opening day, despite the turbulent weather, attendees gathered as a mark of deep respect for the artist.

“Last evening was the opening ceremony of the art exhibition held to celebrate my father’s 80th birthday,” she said. “Because of the severe storm, I feared the event would fall apart entirely. In the end, it was not so bad. Though many could not attend, which saddened me greatly, my gratitude to those who did come—even in the storm—is beyond what words can express.”

The cultural programme included songs written and composed by Matlub Ali himself. His wife, renowned electric Hawaiian guitar artist Rehena Matlub, opened with a rendition of 

Rabindranath Tagore’s “Tumi Robe Nirabe”. Artists from Chhayanaut and the Manab Shilpa Sahitya Sanskriti Gosthi also performed.

Matlub Ali received several prestigious awards over his career, including the Zainul Abedin
Smriti Parishad Sammanana in 2004 for his research on Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, and again in 2012 and 2022.

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