Mrinal Haque, a sculptor best known for making murals on the streets of Dhaka and an occasional subject of criticism from art connoisseurs and fundamentalists’ wrath, has died at the age of 62.
He breathed his last at his Gulshan home at around 2 am Saturday, said his associate and graphic designer Md Alamgir.
He had been suffering from a combination of ailments, including diabetes, according to Alamgir.
“His sugar and oxygen levels dropped last night.”
Mrinal was born in Rajshahi in 1958. He got admitted to Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts in 1977. He earned his master’s degree in 1984.
He worked primarily with clay, marble, plaster, cement, bronze, copper, terracotta and wood. He had done over 36,000 square foot of work in mosaic painting.
He went to the US in 1995 and started making sculptures. He returned to Bangladesh in 2002 and settled down permanently.
Afterwards, he built the ‘Balaka sculpture in Motijheel on his own initiative. He created many sculptures across Dhaka city, which have long been subjects of criticism for their aesthetic values and lack of opacity.
Some of his works include ‘Ratnadip’ in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, ‘Rajoshik’ near Hotel Intercontinental, ‘Janani O Gorbito Bornomala’ at Paribagh intersection and ‘Kotoyal’ in Eskaton.
An exhibition of his works, encompassing the themes of the Liberation War, was held at the Consulate of Bangladesh in New York City in celebration of the 28th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence, according to his website.
Source: bdnews24.com
