He became well known in 1944 through his series of paintings depicting some of the great famines in Bengal during its British colonial period.

His homeland honored him with the title "Shilpacharya" (Bengali: শিল্পাচার্য) "Great teacher of the arts" for his artistic and visionary attributes.

[6] In September 2024, Abedin's painting Untitled (1970) was sold for US$692,048 at the "Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art" auction, organised by Sotheby's in London.

[9] Zainul Abedin was born at Kendua (now Netrokona) in Kishoreganj mohokuma of Mymensingh district on 29 December 1914.

Many of his works framed Brahmaputra and a series of watercolors that Abedin did as his tribute to the river earned him the Governor's gold medal in an all-India exhibition in 1938.

These sketches helped him find his way in a realistic approach that focused on the human suffering, struggle and protest.

[22] Abedin visited Palestinian camps in Syria and Jordan in 1970 and made 60–70 paintings of the refugees.

In 1969, Abedin painted a scroll using Chinese ink, watercolor and wax named Nabanna.

[11] In 1974, Abedin received Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Delhi, India.

[24] In 1975, he founded the Folk Art Museum at Sonargaon in Narayanganj, and Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala, a gallery of his own works in Mymensingh.

His famous painting "Study of a Crow" (Ink Wash) in the collection of Professor Ahmed Ali is listed in the book Arts in Pakistan by Jalaluddin Ahmed, 1952, including an exclusive monologue on him published by FOMMA, Karachi, along with his many Famine Series paintings of 1943.

[28][29][30] An academic building of the University of Rajshahi, has recently been named after him which is the home to its fine arts faculty.

In December 2014, Bangladeshi various socio-cultural organisations have arranged elaborate birth centenary programmes throughout the country.