SM Sultan thru Mamun’s lens

Master lensman Nasir Ali Mamun is back with another solo show.

And guess what? The portrait photographer in his 58th exhibition is displaying some rare captures of charismatic artist SM Sultan.

The 15-day photo show, now going on in full swing at the La Galerie of Alliance Française de Dhaka in the capital’s Dhanmondi, was inaugurated by cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor as the chief guest on Thursday.

Mamun spent 10 years in pursuit of SM Sultan, who was elusive by nature and lived a quiet isolated life in Narail. His captures of the artist and his bohemian lifestyle have been put on display for the exhibition.

The exhibition titled ‘SM Sultan - The Cosmic Journey of a Fugitive’ features a total of 27 black and white photographs of artist SM Sultan, says a press release of Alliance Française de Dhaka.

Mamun, who pioneered portrait photography in the country, shot the portraits in his signature style with dim, natural light on subjects’ faces.

His camera chronicled SM Sultan’s closeness to the common people and surroundings, including animals, birds and plants that the artist greatly cared for.

Through these photographs Mamun tried to uphold the inner spirit of SM Sultan who shunned publicity and lived quietly in his native village in Narail.

A book with the same title ‘SM Sultan - The Cosmic Journey of a Fugitive’ by Nasir Ali Mamun was also launched at the inaugural session.

The inaugural programme was attended by Marie Annick Bourdin, ambassador of France to Bangladesh, Mario Plama, ambassador of Italy to Bangladesh, eminent artist Monirul Islam, architect-artist Mustapha Khalid Palash, professor Moinuddin Khaled and the new director of Alliance Française de Dhaka Olivier Dintinger.

The exhibition is open to all and it will run till 5 October at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka.