Maruf Ahmed: A Painter in Germany

Maruf Ahmed left Bangladesh in 1976. Since then, 30 years have passed and yet his paintings show the vibrant colours of his beloved motherland -- yellow, red, blue and green.

A pair of jeans, a long kurta and a cotton bag hung over the left shoulder -- that’s normally the dress code of a painter in Bangladesh. But Maruf, with his salt-and-pepper hair and Gandhian spectacles, is totally different in appearance. His jeans are new and he is wearing an off-white pullover and a brown leather jacket, instead of the traditional kurta.

DW-WORLD: Do you still consider yourself to be a Bangladeshi after spending more than half of your life in Germany?

Maruf Ahmed: One cannot just forget one's roots -- even if I live for the rest of my life here. Anywhere I go, the first question that comes up is: "Where do you come from?" The answer, naturally, is: "I am a Bengali and I come from Bangladesh." That comes automatically. It hardly matters how many years I am here.

Why did you come to Germany?

Before coming to this country I did not know much about Germany. We knew more about Paris, London, Tokyo and New York but not about Germany. So when I came here, it was a beautiful experience. I was studying fine arts at the Bangladesh College of Arts and Crafts. I was studying painting and art history. I read about painting and art movements here in Germany. I read about expressionism, surrealism -- and I was extremely interested. After I finished my Bachelor of Fine Arts, I got a scholarship from the DAAD to study in Germany.

Did you plan to stay on in Germany at that point of time?

At the beginning, I really did not know that I was going to stay for such a long time. I intended to go back. But, slowly I got involved in the art scene here. I could not go back anymore. Even if I had wanted to go back, my painting wouldn't have allowed me.

What was your initial experience of this country?

The Germans were friendly and nice to me, but I did not understand a single word when they spoke. They would even say, 'Let’s talk in English, so that you can understand'. But after a couple of minutes, they'd start talking in German. So it wasn't easy. But I was curious about West Europe, about its history, its culture. This curiosity enabled me to overcome all difficulties. I then got a scholarship from the Goethe Institute to learn German, after which I started my course of studies at the Cologne Academy of Arts. I was living in Bonn and studying in Cologne and slowly developing a new circle of friends. At that time there was a wonderful organisation here called the 'Ausländer Club' or the Foreigners Club organised by the Foreign Ministry. Through the club, I came to know many talented and multinational people.

Does Bangladesh appear in your work?

Well, that’s what a lot of people say, especially those who come from Bangladesh. I think Bangladesh has a tremendous influence on my work - but not in a visible or conscious manner. The only conscious thing in my work is that I use a lot of basic colours and these are the colours which I came to know from the country that I come from. I think a lot of emotions are there in me which come out through the use of these colours. Interestingly enough, when I went back to Bangladesh for the first time after coming to Germany, I realised that Bangladesh is full of colours. What I have experienced in Europe is that it is all grey and cold here, at least for a major part of the time, since summer and autumn are very short. But my place of birth has so many colours. And we get so used to it that we do not realise that we have so much colour throughout the year. I did not even look at the beautiful tree in full blossom right outside my window when I was living in Bangladesh. But when I went back, I realised what a beautiful country it is.

If you found Germany to be grey and cold, why did you choose to live here?

I chose to stay here because I was fascinated by the range and dynamics of the art scene, despite the competition. There is a huge scope of developing one’s work. If I’d been a doctor or an engineer, I’d have probably gone back after completing my studies. But where painting is concerned, there's so much to learn and to experience. It's a never-ending process. When I go to Bangladesh and arrange workshops, I realise each time that there's so much to give and so much more to learn. There are so many things happening, especially in Western Europe, and especially in the field of art -- in painting, in sculpture -- so that one would not want to miss out on it.

What do you miss most here in Germany?

The city in which I was brought up and went to school and to university is Dhaka. I miss my city. But now whenever I go back home, I realise that this is not the Dhaka where I was brought up. It was one of the most beautiful cities I can remember. But not anymore. And of course the food. That’s something very traditional.

How often do you visit Bangladesh and what do you cherish most there?

Maruf Ahmed: I try to visit Dhaka every year or every year-and-a-half, where I organise workshops and meet both the younger and the older generation of artists. They are receptive and curious to know as much as they can from me.

What do you appreciate most among the Germans?

Maruf Ahmed: People are generally very serious here in Germany. I like the way they work. They work hard for a certain thing. There is discipline and order in every step of life. But the bad thing is that sometimes they take things too seriously. Again, from an artist's point of view, I'd say that there are many German artists like Gerhard Richter, Paulke, Jörgen Klauke, Graubner and Immendorf who've really crossed all boundaries. They’ve criticised the society that they live in. They've seen the world in a bigger way. All this is practically unknown in Bangladesh. On the other hand, it seems at times that the Germans do not readily accept radical change.

Would you consider Germany to be your home?

I came to Germany after the liberation of Bangladesh. By now, I consider myself to be integrated into German society. But sometimes the Germans themselves come up with the question: "Where do you come from?" And if I say, I’m a German, they ask: "Where do you originally come from?" It disturbs me quite a bit and at the same time it makes me aware of my identity. I ask myself: "Is Germany my home?" I become confused. Bangladesh is indeed a part of me. And so is Germany. After that, I am a member of the world at large, the world of painting. So I guess my home is everywhere. I've never really thought about what I feel here -- but I have my family here, I have my friends, I suppose I feel fine. I feel good.