Top French honour for Shahabuddin

France has recognised Bangladesh’s artist Shahabuddin Ahmed’s works with its one of the highest titles in arts and literature. The foreign ministry said the freedom-fighter artist, who lives in Paris, has been awarded with the ‘Chevalier de I’Ordre des Arts at des Lettres’, known as the Knight in the Order of the Arts and Literature. Introduced in 1957, this title is given to French and foreign artists for their outstanding work in literary or artistic fields. Born in 1950, Shahabuddin graduated from the then Bangladesh College of Arts and Crafts before going to Paris for higher studies with a French government scholarship. Over the last three decades, his remarkable works have been extensively exhibited around the world. His distinctive style, depicting a blend of Oriental and Occidental art forms, made him a prominent name among European art lovers. His mastery led him to receive the honour of being one of the ‘50 Master Painters of Contemporary Arts’ at the Olympiad of Arts, Barcelona, in 1992, according to bdnews24.com.