Awards Inspire Artists To Strive For Perfection - Kalidas Karmakar

Nevertheless, he likes to paint about Bangladesh.

For someone who hails from a humble background in Faridpur, Kalidas Karmakar has indeed come a long way. Raised in a family of artisans (hence the Karmakar surname), art was in his blood as his father and several other family members had a flair for drawing. All Kalidas did was take to the next level, a level which has now become a benchmark for excellence, something that contemporary artists strive to reach. In recognition of that excellence, he was recently awarded the Bangladesh Padak 2016 by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy for his contribution in the field of fine art. He was recently in conversation with Dhaka Courier, where he talked about his initiation to art, his journey as an artist, how today’s Bangladeshi artists need to be promoted and more.

Asking the obvious question first on how he felt about recently being awarded the Shilpakala Award 2016, his reaction was unconventionally humble for an artist of his stature. “Any award that is bestowed upon artists inspires them to strive for perfection,” said artist Kalidas Karmakar, “I’m inspired by this award to do better as well. But I also believe that artists do not ply their works of art only for receiving accolades. They draw, paint, sing or write, for self-gratification and liberating themselves from the negativities lying around them. When their artwork represents the mass people and the country, that is when awards come pouring in.”