Kamruzzaman Sagar, a distinguished lithographer and educator at the Department of Printmaking, University of Dhaka, has recently been honored with the Guanlan Prints Biennial Honourary Award from Guanlan in China. Zhao Jiachun, the programme director of Guanlan Artists Residency, along with Guo Qingwen, co-director of Guanlan Prints Museum, and other senior officials from the Guanlan Prints Museum and Guanlan Artists' Residency, were also in attendance at the award ceremony. Artists from Serbia, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, the USA, and various other nations were recognized with awards and participated in the event.

Sagar also participated in a month-long residency programme from February 14 to March 14 at the Guanlan International Printmaking Base located in Shenzhen, Longhua Province, China. Throughout this residency, he created two lithographs and one etching. His two lithographs provided viewers with an insight into his remarkable abilities. Generally, a lithographer showcases his expertise as a craftsman. By experimenting with various techniques and materials, he adeptly combines them to produce a cohesive work of art on paper. His prints are celebrated for their precision, creativity, and minimalist sophistication. The lithographs he creates are meticulously crafted, captivating, and intellectually stimulating. His artwork addresses contemporary issues and global irregularities. Among his creations is a depiction of a horse, symbolising power, force, and strength in the face of various injustices and wrongdoings.

Sagar's artworks are currently on display at the Guanlan International Prints Biennial Nomination Exhibition. This exhibition is taking place at the Guanlan Museum. Professional printmakers from across the globe have participated in this event. A total of 209 artworks have been nominated from 212 artists across 38 countries and regions for the biennial, comprising 101 international and 108 local pieces. The exhibition highlights a range of themes, subjects, and techniques. The techniques showcased are remarkable, and the subjects addressed vary, focusing on nature, love, human admiration and affection, climate change, global warming, political and economic crises, political and economic instability, war, scarcity, starvation, and numerous other issues.

The Guanlan Printmaking Base is funded by the Shenzhen Bao'an District People's Government, the China Artists Association, and the Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles. In addition to the printmaking workshop and international residency programme, they also provide support for the Guanlan International Print Biennial and have established a printmaking museum on-site. Located near the China Printmaking Museum, the printmaking base often partners with a well-equipped printmaking facility that seeks to link printmakers from all over the world.

Sagar offers us a profound reflection on our creative capabilities through his artistic works. His creations illustrate images that connect with our subconscious thoughts, while his lithographs explore imaginative interpretations that arise from the depths of the unconscious mind. Sagar's art achieves a balance between a rational viewpoint on existence and one that emphasises the effects of the subconscious. Dreams play a crucial role in his artistic pursuits. Furthermore, Sagar demonstrates a profound concern for the difficult realities of urban life and the overall vulnerability of human civilisation to the consequences of climate change and global warming.

Sagar's artworks evoke a deep sense of melancholy, and he intentionally chooses a particular language to effectively express the stories behind his prints. His ongoing experimentation with animal movements, deteriorating forests and houses, blooming trees and flowers, varied and indistinct forms, numerous species of birds, and the arrangement of realistic compositions is apparent. Sagar has a strong propensity for experimentation. This is illustrated by his investigation of planets and other celestial entities, along with the incorporation of dotted and ambiguous shapes. He approaches his prints with meticulous care and purity, frequently constructing an image only to dismantle it and recreate it anew. Sagar exhibits remarkable bravery in showcasing well-defined objects, and the intricately designed motifs in his images leave a lasting impact. It is clear that his method of expression harmoniously merges realism with surrealism, providing a glimpse into his reflective world.

The writer is an art critic and cultural curator.