Title
Between States of Legibility: Calligraphic Modernism in the Work of Mohammad Kibria, 1950-1970 Description
Painted in 1959, the year Mohammad Kibria began studying at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, Swimming is reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy in its use of monochromatic ink on rice paper. Yet rather than a depiction of letters or words, the composition is figural, and also highlights the artist’s interest in abstraction and cubism. While Kibria’s practice can be situated in the historical context of artistic exchange between Bengal and Japan, this paper proposes a reading of the artist’s work that considers the shifting relationship between the artist and the nation-state in postcolonial Bengal, as well as the hazy distinction between word and image in calligraphic modernism. Speaker
Maria Phoutrides is a graduate student in Art History at the University of Washington. She specializes in modern and contemporary art of South Asia. Maria completed her BA in Art History and International Relations at the University of Southern California. |