Grade 8 students meet an animator and visual artist

Mr Moshiur addresses the students.

Grade 8 students at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka met an animator and visual artist, Golam Moshiur Rahman Choudhury, for an exciting session exploring how to express themselves with animation.

Mr Moshiur is a passionate animator and visual artist who has worked in Bangladesh for some time. He obtained several certifications in animation from Malaysia and has been engaged as a game and graphics consultant to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division of Bangladesh's Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.     

"Animation is everywhere," Mr Moshiur said. "Every time, everywhere, we see objects and characters animating in wonderful and diverse ways. When I started my animation journey, Bangladesh had no formal education in animation or visual arts. I pursued universities abroad to get higher education in animation."   

The speaker started the session by explaining his origin and sharing his journey of becoming an animator. His grandmother brought a TV, and he saw animated movies for the first time. It was a trivial trigger that instilled a passion for animation in him. Gradually, he surfed further towards the creative journey of visual arts. Now, Mr Moshiur envisions starting a new trend in animation.  

The guest shared valuable insights and philosophies about motion art during the session. He highlighted motion art as an intrinsic part of our surroundings.   

"Anything you can imagine can be crafted through animation and visual art," said Mr Moshuir. "Animation is everywhere – from nature to your laptop's screen. It is a unique way of expressing yourself."   

Mr Moshiur explains to the students how the animation industry works.

Mr Moshiur emphasised how he wanted to give back to his country by helping the visual industry to flourish. He also highlighted that as Bangladesh progresses towards an economic boom, the visual arts industry can help businesses get more out of their storytelling efforts.      

"The guest speaker session allowed us to understand how prominent animation is in our daily lives," said Grade 8 student Tashnim Hoque Biban. "We use animation to such an extent that we sometimes overlook the fact that we see animation everywhere. Furthermore, we also gained an understanding that having a passion for animation will allow us to stabilise the animation sector in our country."     

After discussing aspects of animation and various professional prospects, Mr Moshiur explained how motion production is done, showing some of his works for national and international audiences.  

"The guest speaker session covered a lot of historical information," said Rayan Rasheed, another Grade 8 student. "Besides, the speaker covered how the Bangladeshi animation industry started to develop. I could relate more with this session as he contextualised the discussion with our culture and tradition."     

The session also informed the students about the fast-paced trends of the animation industry in Bangladesh and internationally.  

"The session aimed to provide students with first-hand information about current trends, techniques and technologies within the animation field," said Senior School Design Teacher Atia Maqshura. "This helped students stay up to date with industry dynamics and prepare them for the ever-evolving nature of visual arts."