Safiuddin Ahmed

Safiuddin Ahmed (1922–2012) was one of the most technically accomplished artists of Bangladesh — a printmaker, draughtsman, and teacher whose mastery of etching, aquatint, and intaglio produced some of the finest graphic works in South Asian art history.

Born in Kolkata, he studied at the Government School of Art there before joining Zainul Abedin as one of the founding faculty members of the Government Institute of Fine Arts in Dhaka in 1948. He later studied printmaking in London, where he deepened his technical mastery.

His prints — often depicting the landscape, boats, and figures of Bengal — are characterised by extraordinary tonal richness. Working in aquatint, he achieved velvety blacks and delicate greys that recalled the best of the European tradition while remaining distinctly rooted in the Bengali visual world.

He taught printmaking in Dhaka for decades, training generations of Bangladeshi artists. His influence on the development of printmaking as a fine art in Bangladesh cannot be overstated.

He received the Ekushey Padak in 1965 and the Independence Day Award in 2012.