Seven artworks by five Bangladeshi masters—Zainul Abedin, Shahid Kabir, Mohammad Kibria, Rashid Choudhury, and Kalidas Karmakar—sold at a Sotheby’s auction in London, surpassing pre-sale estimates. The auction, titled “Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art,” featured 54 lots and set seven new artist records, including first-time appearances for Shahid Kabir and Kalidas Karmakar at Sotheby’s. A watercolor by Zainul Abedin fetched £50,800 against a £15,000–£20,000 estimate, while three works by Shahid Kabir sold for £53,340, far exceeding the £7,500–£9,500 estimate.
This auction matters because it signals growing global recognition and market demand for Bangladeshi modern art, historically underrepresented in major auction houses. The record-breaking results, including the highest sales value in the 30-year history of Sotheby’s South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art department, highlight a shift in collector interest toward South Asian artists beyond the Indian market. The strong performance of artists like Shahid Kabir and Kalidas Karmakar, who debuted at Sotheby’s, could encourage further institutional and commercial attention to Bangladeshi art on the international stage.