Najib Tareque

Najib Tareque (born September 5, 1970, as Abu Najib Mohammed Tareque) is a Bengali artist, printmaker and writer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is best known for his new media artworks and being one of the pioneers of online art galleries in Bangladesh. Tareque was the founding member of Jolrong, one of the first online art galleries in South Asia. He graduated in 1994 and completed post graduate study in 2000 from the faculty. Whilst a student, he acted in the anti-autocracy movement, and for the Nirmul Committee.

Career Tareque worked as a chief artist for national newspapers, including Daily Jugantor from 1999 to 2001 and Daily Janakantha from 2002 to 2004. He also worked with Ekushey Television from 2001 to 2003. From 2004 to 2011, he was appointed as a brand marketing consultant of the Standard Chartered Bank Limited in Dhaka. Besides, he has been appointed as the Information Technology Secretary of the Bangladesh Charushilpi Sangsad.

Works

Tareque is mainly a printmaker. However, he did numerous work in the several mediums including oil, water, and acrylic, but he mostly on the mix-media. Most of his paintings have vibrant colours, and the backgrounds feature dominant movement. Initially, a multivariate fragility was noted in his paintings, which often recall the works of Fauvist artists. Paul Klee's painting are often remembered when analyzing the space and intention of Tareque's painting "Antarer Anusandhan" and "Naree Banam Naree". "Joy Manabata" is his first solo exhibition which was held in May 1994 with Alliance Française in Dhaka. Most of the 42 paintings of the exhibition were the subject matter of the human. Where the human form has been depicted in the form of Durga, Nomad, Ravana, Ullas, etc. Some paintings of Tareque, who believe in the Evolution theory, are found in the resemblance of the non-human face with the human body, through which he has expressed his desire to illustrate the ugly image of the human.

In 2009, he participated in the group exhibition held in Mumbai, India. He got acquainted In Bangladesh, he tried to turn the traditional illustrations of the book covers into modern art. After initial launch of the studio has hosted several exhibitions, workshops, and events featuring artists from different talents, as musicians, painters, writers etc. Later in May 2016, a solo exhibition of the project was organized in the Studio 6/6 Gallery located in Dhaka. It was the first physical exhibition of its kind in the country, featuring approximately 15 prints of digital paintings. As a part of the project, Tareque composed his old and new combination of decoration, using many of his previously drawn illustrations for various books, newspapers and magazines. 2017, May 6–15 Nirman Studio 6/6, Dhaka Farhana Afroz

Cover illustrations Ghorer Latim Ar Sutar Jaymity Dhaka Tolpet (2010) Bokkhapinjor Bonam Ostho Ar Chokhbondher Kobita (2015) And Those Other Ghosts Of Love (2016) Ishwarer Sontanera (February 2017; Kotha Prakash)

Literary works Apart from composing art, Tareque has studied literature; wrote verse,