As a student, Ahmed developed a keen appreciation for nature that depicted his natural environment and the human and animal world bring deep prosperity to his art. Further he joined a “leftist student organization of Undivided Bengal” in which Ahmed was one of four editors, which was released in 1944. Even further, he was involved in school, submitting regular sketches and learning from Mukul Dey and Ramen Chatterjee who had elevated Indian printmaking. 

In 1947, Ahhmed migrated to Dhaka, along with many other Bengali Muslims, and this remained his home until his death in 2012. 1947 being a year of particular turmoil in India, was shaped by the dividing of India into Bangladesh and Pakistan. Kolkata, formerly Calcutta was India’s largest city and one of its largest ports, useful for transmission in and out of the Bay of Bengal. The city used to be the capital of British India (1772-1911) and was decorated in European fashion and influence (Sinha). 

Ahmed lived a quiet life and worked diligently on his craft, perfecting prints and charcoal drawings. Ahmed was one of the main initiators of creating the first modern art institute in Dhaka. (Haque). Identity and nationalism play a large role in Ahmed’s work, as it was a charged topic in colonial and post-colonial society in Bangladesh. The partition had a profound effect on Ahmed and caused him to become heavily involved in the art movement in Dhaka. Safiuddin Ahmed alongside, Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hassan and S.M. Sultan led the art movement in Bangladesh. The group was influenced by “Global eclecticism was a predominant feature of these movements in their early states and many Indian artists who had gone to Europe came back with a new enthusiasm for local arts” (Selim). 

Ahmed studied printmaking in London, UK,  in 1957 to further his education. Which furthered his enjoyment of visual arts and pushed his work into the spotlight. Ahmed was recognized for his achievements in the art world and garnered the following awards: "President's Gold Medal by Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta; first prize in the category of black and white in International Contemporary Art Exhibition, New Delhi; first prize in the category of black and white (etching and drawing) in Inter-Asian Art Exhibition in New Delhi and Patna Maharaja's Gold Medal" ("Safiuddin Ahmed: A Legend of Prints.")

His individual style of indigenous modernism was defined in his early school days, although all his work from age 25 and under is lost. During his time at the Calcutta Government Art School, Ahmed vacationed at Dumka, which deeply affected his practice, “he had the eyes of a tropical naturalist, one who believed that recording the real was an act of human empathy as it enhances one's understanding of the self as well as the world around” (Haque). Further, a large body of his work is landscapes and reference the natural world around him. His work from Dumka was

As seen in his early career, Safiuddin’s teachers at the government school were very impactful on his career and his works. Through his schooling, Ahmed's teachers instilled devotion and and dedication. This can be seen in his printmaking which shows his intentional mark making and detailed fine lines.

Ahmed was a pioneer of wood engravings and taught it at his teaching position at the Government College of Art and Craft. After partition, Ahmed brought his trade to Bangladesh and is considered a Banglasdeshi artist, but his work is taught alongside India history as a child of the divided Bengal (Tankha). In a recent article, by Madhur Tankha, from The Hindu, the importance of India-Bangladesh printmaking remains important as an important tool in the freedom movement and then became an art movement for all (2020). 

Many of Ahmed’s work shows the political struggles of Bengalis and rural life, without the traditional folk art (Selim). Even further, his work was influenced by the atmosphere in which he grew up. In 1947, Ahmed was relocated to Dhaka, Bangladesh and was further affected by disaster in 1954 and 1955, when his village of Swmibagh experienced severe flooding. From then out, Ahmed’s work was influenced by “floods, fish, nets, boats and the diversity of water […] In this he found the soul of Bengal” (Ar Rahman).

Haque, Syed Azizul. "Safiuddin Ahmed : An Artist of Pragmatic Intent." Depart Magazine. Depart Desk, 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2020. <https://departmag.com/index.php/en/detail/134/Safiuddin-Ahmed-and-An-artist-of-pragmatic-intent>.

Selim, Lala Rukh. "Art of Bangladesh: The Changing Role of Tradition, Search for Identity and Globalization." South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal 9 (2014). Web. 07 Dec. 2020.

"Safiuddin Ahmed: A Legend of Prints." The Daily Star. Ed. Staff Correspondent. The Daily Star, 22 June 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2020.

Sinha, N.K. "Kolkata, India." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 July 1998. Web. 07 Dec. 2020.

Tankha, Madhur. "Shared Heritage of India and Bangladesh." The Hindu. The Hindu, 25 Jan. 2020. Web. 07 Dec. 2020.

Ahmed’s subject matter focused on mainly pastoral scenes and unison between man and nature. In this piece there is no colour, only the intense black from the ink and the white from the relief of the engraving. This stark colour contrast makes the piece bold and stand out. There are houses, a brick wall and two figures standing beside the path. The detailed lines of the rooves become more of the focal point and the figures blend in. In the background there are trees reaching over the houses and create depth and distance in the piece. As seen in the article, "Safiuddin Ahmed: A Legend of Prints" Ahmed's known for his devout dedication to a single piece. While black is the predominant colour in the piece, Ahmed's lines are detailed and precise, giving clear delineation for each element in the woodcut.