Well known artist and freedom fighter, Mr. Shahabuddin Ahmed of Bangladesh will stay in RashtrapatiBhavan as an Artist In-Residence from February 18 to 22, 2017. Mr. Shahabuddin is the first foreign artist to live in Rashtrapati Bhavan as a guest of President Pranab Mukherjee.

Mr. Shahabuddin is a celebrated international artist whose works are in collection of the Museum of Bourg-en-Bresse in France, the National Museum of Bulgaria, the Olympic Museum of Lausanne in Switzerland, the Seoul Olympic Museum in Republic of South Korea, the National Museum of Taiwan, Bangladesh National Museum and many other galleries and private collections. He has exhibited around the world and his works include recurring portraits of Gandhiji and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Mr. Shahabuddin considers Tagore and Mother Teresa as sources of inspiration.

Mr. Shahabuddin was a platoon commander who fought in the liberation war of Bangladesh when he was 21 years old. He was close to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of the Nation of Bangladesh. He was the first to host the flag of Bangladesh on the roof of the then Pakistan Radio on December 16, 1971.

A solo exhibition of his works titled ‘Shanti’ will be held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Art Gallery in collaboration with Kolkata based Ganges Art Gallery fromFebruary 18 to 22, 2017. All visitors to the Museum can see the exhibition.Entry for all is from Gate No. 30 which is opposite Talkatora Garden. For any other assistance pleasecontactMs. Subhra Chowdhuri 91-9007000710 or Mr. Mrinal Mondal 91-9433245574of Ganges Arts Gallery for free invites.

The ‘In-Residence’ programme in Rashtrapati Bhavanwas launched by the President of India on December 11, 2013 with the aim of providing writers and artists an opportunity to stay in Rashtrapati Bhavan and be a part of the life of Rashtrapati Bhavan.The Programme seeks to provide an environment which will inspire creative thinking and rejuvenate artistic impulses. Prominent Artists In-Residence who have stayed in the Rashtrapati Bhavan so far include Shri Jogen Chowdhary, MP (Rajya Sabha), Shri Paresh Maity and Smt. Jayasri Burman.

This release issued at 1115 hrs.