BHUBANESWAR : It comes in various forms and hues - from the traditional Pattachitra design to portraits, images of gods and goddesses to the abstract fuelled by the imagination. Paddy straw, the golden residue of the agriculture harvest that is much in news today over rising concerns over its disposal and environmental hazards created by burning of the waste, has found a calling in the vastly unconnected realm of art and craft. Known as straw craft, it is gradually finding its feet as an art form unique to Odisha and drawing more and more admirers by the passing day.
What started as a unconventional hobby or an experiment by Dhenkanal’s Pradipta Kumar Nayak three decades back, has spawned hundreds of artists who are giving shape to exquisite creations made from the ubiquitous crop waste. A self-taught artist Nayak introduced straw craft – similar to Pattachitra in design - to Odisha, and in the last 33 years, has trained around 1,000 people in Jirala, his native, and other villages in the vicinity free of cost.
The 50-year-old artist has set up Kalyani Straw Craft Centre at Jirala and is now training around 200 women in the art. Many of his students have gone on to become master craftsmen with the art being recognised and furthered by the State Institute for Development of Arts and Crafts (SIDAC). “In Jirala, almost every woman is now a trained craftsperson. The gates of my centre are open for anyone who is interested to learn the craft.
They can undergo training here for six months to learn the nuances of the craft. Sometimes, the government sponsors the training sessions and provides the participants a stipend of Rs 1,000 per person”, said Nayak who drew inspiration from the Pattachitra style of painting. Unlike colours in Pattachitra, the artist who is a State and National awardee uses polished straw, scissors and thin plywood sheets coated with black velvet cloth to create straw art. “Unlike Pattachitra, straw is a tedious and time-consuming craft because here, you do not work with colours but straws that are spilt, straightened and cut in required shapes to form a painting” said Nayak who started it as a hobby to create art out of waste.
Nayak, who has been a regular face at State-level exhibitions for the past 15 years, was also roped in by Kala Bhoomi for training youths in the craft through workshops under its Crafts Reimagined for Experience through Absorption Trial and Engagement (CREATE) initiative. Not only in Bhubaneswar, his crafts are much in demand among Odias in the US, UK, South-Asian countries and Australia. His subjects are mostly drawn from mythology and portraits of famous Odia personalities.
He said patronage of the State government is essential to keep the craft alive. “The people who are being trained by us, should get constant work orders so that they can keep practising the art”, he said, adding that he has requested the State government to construct a work shed in Jirala where more people can be trained.