Visual–Historical Ethnography of the Works of S. M. Sultan
The research materials presented here forms part of the broader initiative Collaborative Investigation and Analysis of the Works of S. M. Sultan, undertaken by Bengal Foundation with support from the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). Alongside the conservation component of the project, the research initiative was developed to document, contextualize, and interpret the life, artistic philosophy, and cultural significance of the painter S. M. Sultan.
Rather than approaching Sultan’s paintings solely as aesthetic objects, the research situates his artistic practice within the social, cultural, and ecological environments that shaped his work. The study examines the agrarian landscapes, pedagogical relationships, institutional encounters, and intellectual debates through which Sultan’s visual language developed and acquired meaning. By combining historical research with ethnographic inquiry, the project develops a contextual understanding of Sultan’s artistic practice and its continuing cultural afterlives.
The research findings also provide an interpretive framework that supports the broader objectives of the project, including documentation, conservation planning, and public dissemination of knowledge related to Sultan’s work.
The S. M. Sultan Digital Archive serves as a platform through which selected documentation, research findings, and related materials generated through this research component are made accessible to scholars, students, and the wider public.
Research Approach
The research adopts an interdisciplinary approach drawing on methods from art history, visual anthropology, and cultural history. Within this framework, Sultan’s paintings are examined not only as visual compositions but also as socially embedded cultural practices shaped by specific historical and environmental contexts.
Particular attention is given to the relationship between Sultan’s artistic practice and the rural agrarian landscapes that informed much of his visual imagination. The study also considers the role of memory, pedagogy, and cultural institutions in shaping how Sultan’s work has been interpreted, circulated, and remembered over time.
By combining close visual engagement with contextual research, the project seeks to preserve both the material presence and the social meanings of Sultan’s artistic practice.
Research Methods
The research employs a mixed methodological framework combining archival research, ethnographic interviews, visual analysis, and collaborative scholarly dialogue. The integration of these methods enables the study to bring together historical documentation, embodied testimony, and visual evidence.
Archival Research
Archival materials were examined in order to reconstruct the historical trajectory of Sultan’s artistic practice and public reception. These materials include exhibition catalogues, newspaper coverage, rare photographs, documentary recordings, and previously published monographs.
The archival research helps situate Sultan’s work within the broader institutional and cultural contexts in which it was produced, exhibited, and discussed.
Visual Analysis
Sustained visual engagement with original artworks, sketches, and photographic documentation forms a central component of the research. Through close observation and comparative analysis, the study examines recurring motifs, compositional structures, and thematic concerns across Sultan’s work.
This visual study contributes to understanding the evolution of the artist’s visual language as well as the relationship between his paintings and the social environments that informed them.
Interviews with Cultural Practitioners and Scholars
A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with artists, writers, scholars, filmmakers, collectors, and cultural practitioners who have engaged with Sultan’s work in various intellectual and professional contexts.
These conversations provide insight into how Sultan’s work has been interpreted, debated, and positioned within national and international cultural discourse.
Selected interviewees include:
- Hasnat Abdul Hye – Writer and Novelist
- Catherine Masud – Filmmaker and Academician
- Enam Ahmed Chaudhury – Writer and Politician
- Nasir Ali Mamun – Photographer and Writer
- Hasna Jasimuddin Moudud – Politician and Writer
- Syed Nizar – Academician and Writer
- Mahbub Zamal Shamim – Sculptor and Painter
- Lotte Hoek – Media Anthropologist
- Mohammad Rafiquzzaman – Lyricist and Poet
- Dr. Shahaduz Zaman – Writer, Educator, and Medical Anthropologist
- Iftekhar Iqbal – Historian
- Ali Adil Khan – Art Critic, Collector, Founder of SAGA Foundation
These interviews help situate Sultan’s work within broader conversations surrounding modernism, nationalism, pedagogy, and cultural identity.
Oral Histories
Complementing the above interviews, a series of oral histories were conducted in Narail, Jessore, and Khulna, regions closely associated with Sultan’s life and artistic activity.
These conversations focus on lived memory and personal encounters with the artist, documenting how Sultan was known, remembered, and engaged with by individuals who interacted with him in everyday contexts. The oral histories capture forms of knowledge that often remain outside formal institutional archives.
Interviewees include artists, educators, caretakers, journalists, and community members such as:
- Bimanesh Biswas – Artist, Retired Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Khulna University
- Jakir Hossain – Sultan’s Caretaker, S. M. Sultan Bengal Charukala Mahabidyalay
- Anadi Bairagi – Artist, Former Principal, S. M. Sultan Bengal Charukala Mahabidyalay
- Shameer Mazumder – Artist
- Nanda Sardar & Mangal Sardar – Community members
- Dr. Jahangir – Veterinarian
- Uzzal – Journalist
- Tareq Alam – Journalist and Writer
- Tulu – General Secretary, Narail Press Club
- Tandra Majumder – Curator, SM Sultan Memorial Gallery
- Tahidul Islam Sarjan – Owner, Mitali Pharmacy, Narail
- Golam Sarwar Fakir – Employee, Narail Food Warehouse
These accounts help document the social and cultural environments within which Sultan lived and worked.
Roundtable Discussions
Two roundtable discussions were held on 15 and 17 December 2022 at Bengal Shilpalay. These sessions brought together artists, critics, scholars, and educators to reflect on the developing research.
Participants included:
- Anadi Bairagi – Principal, S. M. Sultan Bengal Charukala Mahabidyalay
- Moinuddin Khaled – Art Critic
- Mustafa Zaman – Artist, Art Writer, and Critic
- Nasir Ali Mamun – Photographer
- Dr. Shahaduz Zaman – Writer, Educator, and Medical Anthropologist
The discussions were recorded and later transcribed. Insights and critiques offered during the sessions contributed to refining the research framework, expanding the bibliography, and strengthening the interpretation of archival and ethnographic findings.
Research Sources
The research draws upon a wide range of primary and secondary materials, including:
Primary materials
- Original artworks held by Bengal Foundation and other collections
- Photographs, letters, personal documents, and recordings
- 31 recorded interviews, including
- 16 video interviews
- 15 audio-recorded oral histories
Secondary materials
- 22 published books on Sultan
- 181 published articles (criticism, memoirs, analytical essays, interviews)
- 20 exhibition and auction catalogues
- 23 documentary and audio-visual materials
- Newspaper features and archival media coverage
Additional research materials were sourced from archives and collections in India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, providing a broader perspective on the circulation and reception of Sultan’s work.
Research Contribution
By integrating archival research, oral histories, interviews, and visual analysis, the project constructs a nuanced understanding of S. M. Sultan’s artistic practice and cultural legacy. It documents the historical contexts, social relationships, and intellectual debates that shaped his work, providing a scholarly foundation for future research and supporting the broader goals of documentation, preservation, and public access to knowledge about one of Bangladesh’s most significant modern artists.
The findings of this research have been consolidated in a comprehensive monograph on S. M. Sultan, titled Provincialising the Avant-Garde: S M Sultan and the Postcolonial Rural in Global Context, authored by Samira Ahmed Raha, which examines the social, historical, and material conditions that informed—and were informed by—his practice. Developed under the guidance of an editorial board, the publication contributes to academic discourse, educational programming, and public engagement. Complementing the monograph, the S. M. Sultan Digital Archive makes selected research materials and documentation accessible to scholars, students, and the wider public.