The modern art movement in Bangladesh traces back to the partition of India (1947) and the establishment of the Dhaka Art Institute in 1948 by 'Shilpacharya' (guru of art) Zainul Abedin and several of his contemporaries, who arrived in Dhaka from Kolkata where they had trained. This illustrated volume is a survey of Abedin's work to date, illustrating his special relationship with his country from various artistic, social, and political perspectives. In 1943, he produced a series of sketches depicting the Bengal Famine, in which millions perished. His indigenous brand of realism, coupled with his social inquiry and protest proved vital in different moments in Bangladesh's history, such as the Liberation War in 1971