oldfangled Firoz Mahmud

Born and brought up in Khulna, Firoz Mahmud admitted to Dhaka University`s Fine Art Institute in early 90`s. He studied foundation art courses under drawing and painting department. He drew more than 3000 pencil drawings, pen sketches and pastel drawings in his first two years of his art education. He also made about one thousand water colors of human, slum, market and people of many professions. Lived and worked in slum, old decaying-ramshackled building room studio surrounded by green market, Firoz spent most of his time to make art and art besides his institution.
Here are few examples of his primary art practices. Few are pencil drawings, few are watercolors and few are with oil paintings. During his art institution in 90`s he received seven best medium art prizes including Shilpachariya Zainul Abedin Gold Medal, Experimental painting prize, Drawing Best Prize, Oil Painting Best Prize, Watercolor Best Prize, Pen Sketch Best Prize and Pencil Sketch Best Prize. He also achieved Dilnasheen Khanom Gold Medal from Dhaka University for receiving recorded highest marks in final exam.

He lost most of his early artworks. Many of his works were lost by termite (white ant)`S bite. They severely loved Firoz`s work . Many works were washed out by flood and rain. Documents and images of few of his previous academic works were discovered. These images of pencil drawing, watercolor, oil paintings, etc. are on view here.

bio:
Now, Firoz Mahmud is one of the emerging contemporary artists in Bangladesh. He is well known for his major scale artworks and for his living and working across the globe. Recently sharing his life between New York and Tokyo . He did research/residency at International Studio and Curatorial Program (2011) in New York, Ph.D on fine arts from Tokyo University of the Arts (2011), research artist at Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam (2003-04), MFA from Tama Art University (2007), BFA from Dhaka University`s Fine Art Institute (1997).
Firoz integrates elements of nature and everyday materials, creating phenomenal works of art over the past decade. He loves processing objects, materials, paintings, drawings and all over media to create wide range of artworks. He works on installation, oil Painting (Layapa Art), Urgency of Proximate Drawing [NinKi:UoPD], photograph, object, and video. His works are based on socio-political culture, myth, tradition, universal common idea, pop culture and eventful past. His Layapa Art (Oil Paintings) are mostly with open-ended narratives that are analytically painted and emotionally charged. Layapa Art technique was primarily taken from Japanese woodcut printing (Ukiyo-e浮世絵) with the style of Bangladeshi traditional rendering mud painting by village women. The Urgency of Proximate Drawing [NinKi:UoPD] at very outset was anonymous, but gradually he exhibited in museums, project spaces and public spaces using his own name.
His ARTIST-in-RESIDENCY program includes Ozu Culture Center (2009), Rieti/Rome, Italy, Kolkata Nandonik, India and International Studio and Curatorial Program (2011) in New York.
He EXHIBITED in a number of major exhibitions including, 1st Aichi Triennale (2010), Tashkent Biennale (2009), Sharjah Biennale , UAE (2009), Cairo Biennale (2008), Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (2006 & 2009 in DAP), Asian Biennale Bangladesh (2008, 2002 & 2000). His work also EXHIBITED at the Metropolitan Art Museum in Tokyo, Fuchu Art Museum, Ota Fine Arts, University Art Museum, Mori Art Museum (Center Gallery) , The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts in Tokyo, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art (2010) in Japan, kunsthaus Tacheles in Berlin, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, New York, Sovereign Asian Art Foundation, The Landmark Atrium, Hong Kong, ShContemporary08, Shanghai Exhibition Center, S.M.A.K., The Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art – Ghent, Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam,Changwon Sungsan Art Hall, Korea, National Art Gallery, Dhaka , Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten, Projectruimte Oost, MediaSchip in Amsterdam, Metropolitan-Gallery Mostings & Byggeriets Hus, Frederiksberg, Copenhagen,Denmark, Royal Over-seas League, London, Concourse RNCM, Manchester and Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland,  Mayor Plaza, Madrid, Birla Academy, Kolkata, India, Asbestos Art Space, La Gallery, National Gallery and National Museum, Dhaka, Yatta ! Anzen !-NinKi:UoPD, B.A.D. Museum of Contemporary Art Yuga Gallery Geidai, `Lamentation` Ota Fine Arts , Tokyo. `I buy, You Frame ! 10% Tax, 100% Discount Urgency of Proximate Drawing is on SALE`, New York, `Step Across This Line`-Contemporary art from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, Asia House , London, Agartola City Center, India, Dhaka Art Center and Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Dhaka.
He got several national and international AWARDS and prizes including Asian Cultural Council/Starr Foundation grant from New York (ACC-2010/2011), Short listed5-Jiro Yoshihara Project 2009mini, Osaka Contemporary Art Center, Prize for Art project Ideas` from Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art(2009), Arts Networks Asia (ANA research grant), Singapore(2007), Kaiseikai Foundation Grants (2007), Monbukagakusho Japanese Government Scholarship(2007), Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rijksakademie Fellowship , Netherlands (2003), ’Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grants’, Canada(1998), C.E.D.S.-Prize’, Royal Over-seas League, London, Khalaghar National Art Prize, Dhaka, Dilnasheen Khanom Gold Medal (2002) & Shilpachariya Zainul Gold Medal’ (All Art Media Best), Institute of Fine Art, Dhaka (1997). He represented by Ota Fine Arts in Tokyo.