Zainul Abedin was a renowned Bangladeshi artist born in 1914 who is renowned for his sketches depicting the devastating 1943 Bengal famine. His famine sketches, which were exhibited in 1944, brought him critical acclaim for their unflinching portrayal of human suffering. The sketches showed skeletal figures of starving people searching desperately for food. One sketch depicts a mother struggling to feed her emaciated children. The 1943 famine was exacerbated by natural disasters and wartime shortages, resulting in approximately 5 million deaths from starvation and related illnesses. Abedin's sketches are considered iconic representations of the human struggle for survival during the famine. He died in 1976 after establishing Bangladesh's first folk art museum.

1. Welcome

2. Zainul Abedin’s
Depiction
Of Bangladeshi Famine
Prepared by:
Md. Mahbubul Haque Osmani
Lectuer, ULAB

3. Zainul Abedin a great teacher of the Arts
Born December 29, 1914 in Kishoreganj,
Mymanshing.
 1933, admitted to the Calcutta Government Art
School.
 Joined as a faculty in the same school.
 1938 a series of water color honor on the
Brahmaputra River.
 Won the gold medal for governor in the All-India
Exhibition.

4. Notable Sketches
Zainul‘s famine sketches of 1940s are his
most remarkable works.
 He created his famine painting set,
which, when exhibited in 1944.
 Brought him even more critical
acclaim.

5. Great Famine of Bengal in 1943
Bengal famine of 1943, around five million
people died from starvation, malnutrition and
related illnesses
 The food situation in India was tight from
the beginning of the SecondWorldWar.
 On 19 October 1943, the famine was at its
peak.
Human made famine, for war and policy
problem.

6. Great Famine of Bengal in 1943
A cyclone and three tidal waves in October in
1942.The winter 1942‘aman’ rice crop was hit.
 450 square miles were swept by tidal waves
 400 square miles affected by floods
3200 square miles damaged by wind and torrential
rain
Reserve stocks were destroyed
Killed 14,500 people and 190,000 cattle
 Destroyed 50% to 90% of some rice by fungus.

7. Great Famine of Bengal in 1943
Miserable situation of the starving
people in 1943.
 Touched Zainul’s sensitive heart very
deeply
Depicted those starving people who were
dying by the road side in search of little bit
of food

8. Famine Sketches
Not just documented the famine, but
showed its sinister face
 Depicted skeletal figures of people
fated to die of starvation
 Its became iconic images of human
suffering

9. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
The painting depicts
the human struggle for
survival during the
famine of 1943.The
painter has created a
vivid scene of this
struggle in which
human and crow are
seen to be equally
involved in the
relentless effort to
procure food from
dustbin.

10. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
Mother
provides food
to her
children.
Miserable
health
condition for
starvation.
Both are
skeletal
figures.

11. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
Two kids are
sharing food
from one
plate. Skeletal
figures for
food crisis.
Crows are
observing this.

12. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
A skeletal
man is trying
to licking food
from
something for
mitigating
hunger.

13. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
A mother
tensed, kept
hand in
forehead. Her
kid laid for
starvation.
But she
couldn’t
manage food
for her.

14. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
Same thing is
happening here.
Mother with her
two kids is
searching for food
with a plate in her
hand. Skeletal
body of infant. No
future in front of
them.

15. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
Miserable
situation of
human being.
Skeletal infant
in its mother
cradle. Mother
was wearing
torn cloths and
kept her hand in
an empty plate.

16. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
For starving a
person already
dead during the
famine of 1943 .
Birds of prey was
eating the skeletal
dead body. A dog
also eat something
beside the dead
body. Empty
plate and mug are
the sign of
starvation.

17. Famine Sketch 1943, Zainul
Abedin
A person already
died and covered
by burial cloth.
One of his/her
skeletal legs is
uncovered.A crow
is sitting on the
dead body.A
skeletal domestic
dog laid beside the
dead body. Here
also see the empty
plate and mug.

18. Conclusion
ZainulAbedin died on May 28, 1976 in
Dhaka
 1975, ZainulAbedin founded the Folk Art Museum
in Sonargaon, near Dhaka.
 ZainulAbedin Sangrahashala, an exhibition of
ZainulAbedin's work in Mymensingh.
 Referred with great respect as Shilpacharya (Great
Teacher of theArts) in Bangladesh.

19. Thank U