Untitled

Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1921, Quamrul Hassan moved to East Pakistan after the Partition of the subcontinent in 1947. He was a versatile artist who worked in oil, gouache, watercolours, pastel, and different forms of printmaking. Hassan’s linocuts, much like the works of Chittaprosad, depict human suffering and pathos. His woodcuts, especially after the 1974 famine, expressed rage and anger at a failing system. This sentiment is reflected in the print on display, where oppression (symbolised by the blood-dripping bayonet in the corner) and adverse living conditions cause the working class to survive barely at the margins.