Internationally renowned Paris-based-Bangladeshi painter Shahabuddin Ahmed was born on September 11, 1950 and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dhaka. He obtained scholarship to study at Ecole des beaux-arts de Paris. He was one of the fifty master painter of contemporary arts, and had been bestowed with an award at the Olympiad of Arts, Barcelona, in 1992. He has been awarded the French title "Chevalier De L'ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres" (Knight in the Order of Fine Arts and Humanities) by the Ministry for Cultural Affairs and Communication of France in 2014. This award is given to artists for their outstanding works in the literary or artistic fields or for their contribution to culture in France or in the world. He also received the Shadhinata Padak- the highest state award given by the government of Bangladesh in 2000 and Bangla Academy Award in 1974. His paintings delve into contemporary life and time. He is an optimist and this is evidently expressed in his paintings. This optimism was firmly embedded in Shahabuddin when he took part in the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. Bold strokes, vibrant colour and figurative expressions are the hallmark of freedom fighter Shahabuddin's works. The conscience and the indomitable spirit of the Liberation War have frequently appeared as prominent connotations on his canvas. He has the capability to overcome constraints of time and space. In their dynamism his paintings depict fearless human figures that cut through the difficulties of life, which provide one the reason to live. The vibrancy and force of his brushwork highlight this aspect. Above all, his compositions are unmistakably musical and rhythmic.