Interviewing Visual Artists Navid F. Rahman
"Navid F. Rahman was born in November, 1986 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. As expected of being the only child, Navid received the full attention and care of his parents throughout his childhood. His father – a well-respected person in the government service – made sure his inner passion towards art was passed down to his son. Since he was three years old, Navid was hardly seen around the house without a pencil and a piece of paper in his hands – scribbling or doodling something.At present, Navid has a work experience of 7+ years and currently works as a Lead Specialist at Banglalink Digital Communications Limited – one of the leading telecommunications service providers in the country. He is happily married and has a daughter, Raudzah. Thanks to the tremendous support from his family, including his incredible supportive better half, Navid continues to hone his creative skills in parallel to his professional and family lives."
When did you first start drawing?
I’ve been drawing since I was a toddler.
Where does your inspiration and motivation come from?
This is a bit difficult to answer – because the inspirations continue to come in and surround. It all started with my father, who used to be a practicing artist during his school days. He used to specialize in graphite drawing/ sketches, and in portraits. Even today it’s difficult for me to distinguish his portraits from photographs. It’s from his drawings that I eventually came to learn about details, and the importance of anatomy, proportions, perspectives, shading and toning. The next inspiration came along when I came across the legendary works of Hergé (TINTIN), Goscinny and Uderzo (ASTERIX & OBELIX), Jim Lee (BATMAN), and ALEX ROSS (JUSTICE LEAGUE as well as others under DC and Marvel) – to name just a few. That’s when the idea struck my head to write and draw my own comic book. From the perspective of my single artworks, I was motivated by Nowmi Tabassum – a Physics graduate from the University of Dhaka. Although her drawings were far from photo- or hyper-realism, they carried a whole new level of articulation through minimal detail. I later learnt that she had been motivated to work in greater detail by observing the way I created my pieces. To this day, we keep arguing in public about who inspired whom. One more source I must mention here is the world of Japanese anime/ manga – most notably “Rurouni Kenshin”, “Fullmetal Alchemist”, “Death Note”, “Darker Than Black”, and “Trinity Blood”. In addition to the artwork and level of detail, the depth of their concepts and stories continue to amaze me. When it comes to movies it’s difficult to single out the great ones – with so many being out there. From the top of my head, I can recall “The Lord of the Rings”, “Terminator 2”, “Inception”, “Mad Max: Fury Road”, and “The Dark Knight”. While watching the films I try to imagine how the script had been written, the sets and costumes designed, the camera-work done… and then the whole package put together. VFX aside, I keenly observe some key aspects of movie-making as the story runs: direction, cinematography, backdrop and story. These elements do help generate the best ideas on how to construct a unique visual novel of my own. The inspirations keep on coming.
Is there anyone that inspired you at all?
As mentioned earlier, my father was my first icon. I could name the great Masters – da Vinci, Botticelli, Michaelangelo, Picasso, Van Gogh… whose work I’ve always loved and admired, with da Vinci being my personal favorite among the greats. And its my privilege that I know certain youths in my country who have evidently mastered how to bring out the best level of expression/ articulation using minimalistic detail. Seeing these people both at home and abroad makes me want to try harder.
What's your favourite piece that you've made?
There are two. One is my recent (complete) manga “THE FINAL GIFT”; the other is a tribute album I made using digital media, called “THE TWELVE LABORS OF HERCULES”.
Who do you think is the best artist there is?
Keeping in mind that there are countless out there whom I’d term ‘greats’, right now I can recall Alex Ross and Stanley ‘Artgerm’ Lau.
What has been your favourite moment as an artist? And Have you ever given up on a piece?
My favorite moments are undoubtedly when people I know (esp. my dad) tells their acquaintances to check out my artwork. That aside, to me the most memorable moment was when I held the first printed copy of my manga “THE FINAL GIFT” in my hands – just before sending two more copies of it to Japan for an international contest. And yes, I have. Several times, in fact. Every time, it was either the realization that my story/ script wasn’t concrete, or that the project had been on hiatus for too long. Thankfully I’ve never given up on any of my single pieces. But when it comes to drawing comic books/ graphic novels, there have been several instances when I was forced to either restart or quit altogether. The story had not been well thought out or written with a clear beginning, middle and end. Or simply, there was lack of motivation to continue working on the project. My running project “THE HUMAN SUPERNOVA” – which began as a graphic novel – and two of my older works which had to be scrapped back in 2009, are among the other examples.
What would you say to anyone else who is aspiring to be an artist?
The very first thing I learnt about art was from my father: “What’s your hurry?” Obviously, what he meant was – great pieces require patience and dedication. So I’d pass on the (same) message to aspiring artists. Observing the works of others can also help you improve to great extents. One particular aspect I’ve suffered in through the years is the difficulty in finding quality materials for drawing (esp. paper). But in all honesty, that’s never stopped me. Drawing doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘smooth’, or ‘perfect’. Like many other artists out there, I see art as the medium of expressing your soul. Thus, it’s the way you adapt to articulate your soul that truly matters.
It all really comes down to these points:
1. Observe your surroundings
2. Be patient and dedicated
3. Emphasize more on the expression rather than on fine detailing
4. Focus on perspectives
5. Build your own concepts/ stories/ comic books/ graphic novels
6. Play with colors
7. Don’t be afraid of social perception
8. Urge others to draw more
9. Try to build and work in teams; it encourages healthy competition
Why do you think art is important in today's society?
This concerns the impact on the self, and on the society as a whole. While art helps an individual broaden his/ her horizons and explore beyond, it also contributes greatly to the enrichment of a nation’s culture. Thanks to technology, people everywhere are connected and it’s far easier nowadays to follow what others are doing and how. This greatly contributes to culture sharing among nations. Through collaboration and sharing of stories, art styles/ techniques and materials, individuals and entire nations could learn greatly from each other and in turn build their own materials which could not only gain worldwide recognition, but also inspire others to innovate. I believe that it is through art and reading (books) that we can obtain transparent view of a person’s soul – his/ her personality, likes, dislikes, thoughts (sometimes!) etc.
Where do you see yourself, or where do you wish to see yourself in the future?
Entrepreneur. Having my own firm that creates and trains artists around the world. Having my own streams of comic books/ manga/ graphic novels. Working with world-class artists, illustrators and animators to enrich the culture national culture and strengthen the bonds forged through sharing and collaboration.
Check out Navid F. Rahman
A story found by Riaz Shajahan
