Artist Monirul awarded Spain's Order of Merit

Bangladeshi artist Monirul Islam has been awarded the Order of Merit honor by Spain. Spanish Embassy in Dhaka is supposed to hand over the award to Monirul Islam on Sunday at a program. Monirul Islam has told media that any prize is a source of inspiration for an artist. Monirul Islam said that he tries to portray the intangible feelings of human mind in his paintings. Each painting is the reflection of the thoughts of an artist, he added.

Monirul Islam was born in Chandpur in 1943. He studied fine arts in Dhaka Art College. Famed artist Joynul Abedin placed him in Institute of Fine Arts, Dhaka University. Monirul Islam worked in Dhaka University from 1966 to 1969. Afterwards he went to Spain with a scholarship from the Spanish government. He has been living in Spain since then.

Monirul Islam's paintings have been exhibited in different countries including Spain, Turkey, Netherlands, United States of America, United Kingdom etc. He received Spanish state medal in 1997. He also won the Cross of the Officer of the Order of Queen Isabella in 2010. Moreover, Monirul Islam was awarded Ekushey Padak in 1999. He has so far got many more prizes.