GONE are the days when art circuits at the national level knew the lone Oriya painter – Jatin Das. But times have changed and a few new generation Oriya artists have made the state proud with their distinct identity and pioneering works. New Delhi-based Asit Kumar Patnaik is one such young but acclaimed artist who has carved a niche for himself at the national level within a short time – 10 years to be exact.
Paintings of the artist in his mid 30’s have found a pride of place in the collection at the Rashtrapati Bhawan and Lalit Kala Akademi, the nation’s apex body for fine art, besides in several collections in the US, Europe and the Middle East. The then President of India APJ Abdul Kalam and the present President Pratibha Patil have been visitors to his shows. With participation in more than 25 national level art exhibitions, he has shared space with luminaries like MF Hussain, Satish Gujral, Anjali Ela Menon and Paresh Maitry. He was the youngest painter to be included in Tina Ambani’s famed Harmony Show in Mumbai. And the list just goes on and on.
Asit who hails from Ganjam district, has come a long way ever since he loved crafting clay models as a child at his maternal uncle’s house in Cuttack. He lost his father quite early in life and it was his professor uncle who reared him up with all the care and sent him to study at the famous Government College of Art at Khallikote followed by post graduation from the Benaras Hindu University from where he emerged as the Gold Medalist. He also bagged the Gold medal at the National Youth Festival during his Khallikote days.
Upon completion of studies, Asit got into a government job at Dhanbad in Bihar but his penchant for a life of creativity and challenges prompted him to quit the job and try his luck at the national capital. Married to a south Indian artist by that time, the couple decided to convert their passion for art into their profession and mission for life.
“Initially it was a struggle to get noticed by the connoisseurs, critics and buyers but once a gallery agreed to mount my show that received rave response, Lady Luck smiled at me,” recollected Asit who has evolved such a style of his own that one can easily identify his works without looking for a mention of the artist’s name. Known for his unique series of Human Relations and Intimate Relations – semi-realistic paintings that brilliantly combines abstract and the figurative – it’s his constant experimentation with the texture of his works that has made all the difference to his works. His major works under the Relations series that has fetched him fame and fortune look quite simple with a man and a woman in the frame. But, as you gaze at it, you experience the complexity of his concept, content and craft. “It’s the passionate love for one’s work that finally pays. An artist must evolve his own style and success would definitely follow,” he emphasised.
Despite his success, Delhi’s hectic life and frequent trips to various cities in India and abroad, Asit has maintained his links with his roots in Orissa – his alma mater in Khallikote that nurtured his talent and the dream of becoming a painter. He finds time to visit the institute and guide the aspiring artists. “I owe a lot to my college where I leant the alphabets of art. I also acquired my artistic sensibility from the unspoilt nature that surrounds the small town of Khallikote,” he acknowledged.
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