Portrait of a Cover Artist - Kabya Karim

Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

A graduate from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Unversity of Development Alternative (UODA), Kabya Karim is a standout performer among the young cover artists in the Ekushey Boi Mela. The artist, who has done cover art for more than 100 books this year, says that this was one of the less productive years for him as a cover artist. “There have been times when I did 7 covers in one night,” says Kabya, “And the pressure is immense. This year was a relatively quiet one in terms of work.”

Kabya Karim attributes his talent and achievements to diligence and hard work. “Unlike most artists, I did not want to pursue art since I was a child,” laughs Kabya. “I actually ran away from home after a family feud and started doing a part-time job at an institution. A lot of renowned artists used to visit the place, and I was lucky enough to get in touch with Sabyasachi Hazra, who had just started classes for amateurs.” He was still a teenager at the time.

There was no looking back for Kabya Karim after that, as his talent had ensured that he would learn the craft swiftly. Kabya's favourite cover artists include Sabyasachi Hazra, Dhruba Esh, Purnendu Pattrea, Razib Dutta, Niaz Chowdhury Tuli and Sadatuddin Ahmed Amil.

Some of Kabya's notable work, among many, in this year's Ekushey Boi Mela are, Golpo by Taslima Nasreen, Ontor Birodhi Obhiman by Badrul Haider and Nil Megh Shada Jol by Mintu Ray.

Moving forward, Kabya wants to hone his craft further. “I really do not want to compromise the quality of my work with absurd deadlines,” says the artist. “If I cannot be happy with my own finished product, then I do not see a point to it.”