It is appropriate that the art tribute in memory of the late stalwart painter Byomakesh Mohanty comes from his old friends and colleagues with whom he worked all across the country for years. ‘Shradhanjali’, currently on display at the Rashtriya Lalit Kala Akademi, is a collection of brilliantly coloured ideas/thoughts put on canvas by established artists. Space has also been given to upcoming and promising ones from the B K College of Art and Craft where Byomakesh was a member of faculty in painting. He was in fact the brain behind formation of Artists Association of Odisha in 1992 which aimed at creating opportunities in the art scene for young artists to help them grow.
Myriad Hues
Byomakesh, considered one of the strong pillars of Odisha’s modern art scene, was known for his use of subjects and purity of colour in his works. Perhaps not surprisingly then, it is colour that truly stands out in the collection of paintings at the exhibition. Each canvas is filled completely with solid colours, from bright reds and shimmering blue-greens to pale yellows, rusty browns and greys. Using brushstrokes of different widths and lengths in different directions, the painters create a sense of texture and movement. But it’s not just the colours that dominate entirely; the ideas behind every painting too stand out.
Different Themes
New Delhi-based painter Nibedita Pattnaik draws a woman dressed like a doll coming out of a shell which is surrounded by elements like utensils, stars and butterflies, all signifying different shades of womanhood. Comparing the life of women with dolls, Nibedita’s painting in acrylic shows the woman in the form of a traditional clay doll of Odisha. She also depicts a baby girl resting on a platform holding a magic wand in her tiny hands. “Though people love playing with dolls and think of fairies when in trouble, evils like female foeticide still exist,” says Nibedita. For her, women are another name of dignity, grace and poetry. She, however, feels the individuality of a woman, her freedom is not respected.
Sudhanshu Sutar, Odia artist settled in Gurgaon, paints the cultural upheaval that is prevalent in a globalising world. He experiments with his rural psychological imagery from Odisha and complex survival strategy in the big city like New Delhi in his work.
Titled Freedom, Shyama Prasad Tali’s work in acrylic on canvas speaks about the ongoing fight between nature and human beings over exploitation of natural resources. He draws a pelican struggling to rise from the sea, but the bird’s legs seem to be tied up with a thick iron chain and a lock. Through the chain and lock, the artist wants to show the helpless nature that is being dangerously controlled by humans. Likewise, Manoj Kumar Sahu paints the importance of water in a landscape which is fast drying up. In a parched land, he draws a water pipe which is shown being worshipped with incense sticks and red threads tied on the pipe. “Water has become so scarce that people in big cities are today literally struggling for every drop. A good supply of the precious drops is nothing but a blessing from God,” he says.
While Bidyutlata Patsani also draws on theme of environmental degradation in the form of an angry ox leaping on the universe, Prasanna Kumar Moharana’s ‘To be...’ shows a tiger leaping out of an iron box. Parsanna says in his work, the tiger is reminiscent of human desires that are suppressed many a time owing to circumstances.
The regional secretary of the Akademi Ramakrishna Vedala portrays an interesting creation, painting a safety pin and a fish urging people not to use hooks to kill the creatures or fish for a hobby.
Traditional Touch
Folk themes and traditional forms of art like pattachitra were also visible in beautiful works of Sushant Nayak and Sailabala Nayak who is a faculty member in painting department of the B K College. Sushant’s large canvas is a depiction of pure love in Radha-Krishna leela. Patta technique of painting has also been used by Sangita Patnaik, one of the most vibrant woman painters of the state today. Woman - the most beautiful creation of God - has been the central character of her canvas.
Works of popular artists like Siba Panigrahi, Manas Jena, D N Rao, Baldev Moharatha, Ramhari Jena, D P Mohanty, Bansidhar Pratihari and Meenaketan Pattnaik, among others, are also on show. While the exhibition would conclude here on Friday, it will continue at the Ravenshaw University art gallery, Cuttack, from July 9 to July 14.