Kamal Kabir completed his BFA from Bangladesh Government College of Arts and Crafts (now the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka) in 1974. Few months earlier in the same year, his father died and he faced a great hardship and turmoil afflicting his family. During that time, he went to prominent artist Quamrul Hassan and searched for a job. The great painter offered him to work with him. Kabir worked there as an assistant. He worked there for eight to ninth months and improved his artistic capabilities. Afterwards, he joined the Karukrit Advertising Private Limited and gradually flourished himself. Drawing was his forte and he quickly delivered his works. For his aptitude, he had quickly earned reputation and his name became well-known in the local advertising arena. Later, Kabir joined Adbiz Ad Firm. The firm evolved into a dynamic, award-winning firm providing outstanding results to local, national and international businesses, in a wide array of professional services, including advertising, marketing, branding, business consultation, public relations, social media planning and graphic design.

After 17 years of self-exile from the world of painting, Kamal Kabir reappeared with a novel feeling and sentiment in 1994. He organised a solo exhibition at Alliance Francaise de Dacca (now Dhaka) where he particularly concentrated on the underwater world. He subsumed himself deep into this world of tranquility.

Fish is the predominant aspects of his works. His canvas is a space where rich texture and thick colour join into one another. Sometimes, a single fish, few fishes and a bunch of fishes on his canvas seem to be placed at varied angles and a sense of wonder consequently takes over the viewer's imagination.

It was noticeable at his first exhibition that Kabir is extremely meticulous about using space and the painter superbly demonstrates texture according to the aesthetic requirement of the paintings. The paintings represent emotion and sentiment in a manner which clearly outline the fact that the artist wants to be universally understood, but in a non-figurative mode. Oil is one of the finest and toughest mediums rarely used by our painters but Kabir successfully used the medium with all its hurdles at his first exhibition. From the onset of his career, he has worked with oil for bringing up the media's effect steadily. The medium also allows an artist to create a sense of serenity. For Kabir, oil provides more flexibility and creative freedom than any other type of paint.

Kabir's images are abound with his signature use of deep droplets and various fish forms, marked by the strong backdrop of colourful images that cannot be explained and rather have to be felt. Every single thick line, sprinkle and profound colour on Kabir's canvas exudes different moods and feelings. His prime subjects are often very simple but thought provoking. Human figures are completely absent in his works. He feels comfortable working with a large sized canvas, according to his theme and composition. His works are characterised by a powerful engagement with marine life and open space, and with bold and sweeping brushstrokes. He has played with texture and illusion for surface effects, as the surface looks more impressive and appealing. Space has been created on the canvas although some of the colours have appeared flatly in his works. The tonal-plus-linear approach gives his work a different quality and distinctive look.

An introspective and imaginative painter, Kabir has taken his colours from imagination and that is why colour is the most significant aspect in his paintings. He likes to experiment with different sizes of fishes in all their various facets. At first, the painter applies colours directly, piling up thick layers on the canvas. Then he portrays fishes of different sizes on his canvas. But the layers provide a distinctive touch to Kabir's work and that is why his canvas carries an individual trademark. He has concentrated on applying colours. Deep layers of colours provide a unique texture to his canvas and that is why his canvas carries a singular hallmark. His paintings create an expression on the essence of a colour and what the colours really means. Over the years, Kabir has developed this technique, which is very expensive and time consuming, requiring immense effort and devotion.