Mohammad Iqbal (Bangladeshi, B.1967) The Holy Circle - 28Mohammad Iqbal (Bangladeshi, B.1967)The Holy Circle - 28 signed and dated 'M Iqbal 2022' lower rightacrylic on canvas73 x 73cm (28 3/4 x 28 3/4in).Born in Chuadanga, Bangladesh, Mohammad Iqbal obtained his BFA from the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1987 and earned his MFA from the same university in 1989. He completed an ME (Master of Education), from Aichi University of Education, Japan in 2003, and obtained his PhD in Fine Arts on Oil painting from the Faculty of Fine Art, Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan in 2010.The present work comes from Iqbal's series titled 'Holy Circle' which he started in 2010. The series is best described in his own words:'Facial expression of the human being is my prime interest. I tried to express the emotions of human nature —sorrow, happiness, melancholy, illness and laughter through face. My paintings do not expose any particular child's face. In fact, I have tried to make them universal and impersonal. Usually the faces are drawn from my imagination and recollection of the past. From top to bottom, the backgrounds in my paintings are created with ten to twelve layers of oil colour.Round and curvy dot-like background shapes in almost all my paintings are my unique trait and style. These dot-like shapes symbolize the air and environmental pollution. These round-dotted shapes or bubble-like forms spread all over the background, parts of my aesthetic style, project the man-made imbalances in nature. Again, this symbol is a reflection of the urge to create a secured livelihood, a good future, a beautiful habitat and a war-free and pollution-free environment for the children. Furthermore, the dotted shapes in my paintings have become the symbol of my dispute.' (Mohammad Iqbal, September 2022)His works have been exhibited in Bangladesh, India, Australia, the Maldives, England, the USA, Japan, Germany and Nepal. His works are part of the collections of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (National Art Gallery), Dhaka; Contemporary Art and Cultural Center, Osaka, Japan; Galerie de L'Alliance Francaise, Dhaka and the Lalitkala Akademy (National Academy of Art), New Delhi; India.