Tiger Nazir and his ‘potchitro’

A popular figure in Dhaka's art circuits, Nazir Hossain, better known as Tiger Nazir, is a self-taught scroll painter or "potua". Seen at almost all fairs and folk exhibitions in the city, he flaunts a patriotic, green-and-red bandana with brushes stuck in his unkempt hair.

"Potchitro", traditional Bangla scroll paintings, relate the larger-than-life stories of religious or mythical figures and their escapades. It is one of the oldest surviving folk art forms in Bangladesh. The practice of this art form by potuas is a skill passed down through generations.

"It is said, in the olden days, snake charmers would relate stories to a potua and he would use his imagination to draw the images on a scroll. The snake charmers would go house to house to tell the story by singing and showing the drawing in exchange for food," said Tiger Nazir.

The protagonist of Nazir Hossain's potchitro is a Bangladeshi man who befriends a tiger. He paints from his imagination and always depicts the Bengal tiger as a sign of victory in his heroes' struggle.

"Tigers, to me, symbolise victory and positivity, which is much needed in the lives of our people. To show my heroes as powerful men, I draw tigers as their companions. Tigers are in actuality my plot's heroes," shared Tiger Nazir.

Nazir also takes inspiration from the epics of Gazi Kalu—folktales like Champavati—and stories of Behula-Lakhindor.

Inspired by the tale of Gazi Kalu, his feats and battles across the country in the guise of a fakir, Nazir's potchitro are also stories of victory and positive representation of this country's people. The figures in his paintings of Gazi Kalu and Manik Pir make no attempt at realism; the rustic strokes and bright colours make his style of potchitro sought-after artworks among connoisseurs.

This self-taught artist has already participated in around 400 exhibitions, both at home and abroad, and has had 59 solo art exhibitions.

His reputation as an accomplished potua is a result of dedication and an outcome of years of struggle. He shot to fame internationally in 2015 when his animal figure -- Bantora Kun the tiger -- was chosen as a mascot in Bangladesh-Japan business circles. It represented Bangladesh in Japan, and helped realise his dream of putting Bangladeshi art on a global platform.

Nazir also helped in drawing Tuki the Tiger, a book by authors Alexis Krasilovsky and Shameem Akhtar. Tuki the Tiger is an exuberant character from a novel and is the story of a Bengali tiger who organises the Animal Brigades that help win democracy for Bangladesh.

In a time when traditions are rapidly vanishing, Tiger Nazir's potchitro is an attempt to preserve heritage and revive the lost treasures of our pastoral lives in 2024 Dhaka.