Art is nothing but a reflection of the collective consciousness of a society. Artists provide creative, intellectual and emotional insights into society at large, impacting the masses and challenging the status quo. Art helps cultures unite and boosts economic growth, helping the world become a prettier, better and happier place to live in. It would be foolish to deny the importance of art in a progressive society. When it comes to Odisha, whose previous name was Utkala or the Land of Utkrusta Kala (the epitome of art), the state itself is a witness to this unique correlation between art and societal advancement. While the state has been seeing a decline in patronage of the arts, few artists are striving hard to change the narrative.
A few days before World Art Day, Sunday POST sat down with a few of those artists across the domains to understand the introspection that goes into creating the art and the constant sources of inspiration behind it:
“Live in the art you create”
Firdausi Tabassum, a practicing visual artist and a painter of distinction, expresses her art in multiple dimensions. She is currently working as an art education instructor in the School and Mass Education Department, Government of Odisha. As a winner of WAO (Women Achievers of Odisha) in 2023 for Visual Art by SOA, Fridausi’s work has been collected by many art galleries, organisations and institutions. Although she is engaged as a painter, she still considers academic pursuit and creative excellence to be a never-ending quest as an artist.
Narrating her motivation behind painting, she says, “I have always wanted to be literally in the painting; to live it. I believe each of your paintings must express your ability to articulate your genuine ‘inner voice’ and tell an original story about your personal experience, feelings, thoughts, memories, beliefs, backgrounds and ideas so that you feel like you are part of the painting.”
She feels that human emotions and creative art are interconnected and affect one another. She says, “Every aspect of humanity can be expressed through art. As humans, we have a natural tendency to respond to things that move us, force us to create. My works are no longer limited to humour. There is a shift towards philosophical questions; there are psychological aspects that I wish to consider. The object remains the common link. The search and the result, the depth and the dimensions keep changing and they draw inspiration from everyday life, from colloquial sayings, cultures, dreams and discussions. All of these impulses make up my private philosophy, which gets translated into my works.”
The painter says that cinemas have played a great motivational role in her artistic endeavours. She believes that it urges you to dare, to dream and to carve your own dignity. She adds, “I think movies have the capacity to evoke many kinds of emotions within us, like love, perseverance, determination and redemption. This concept has inspired me to do some series of paintings in an experimental way on the Indian continent with the theme, ‘Inspiring India’.”
Firdausi believes in raising voice through her art to tackle gender and sexuality politics. She has a soft corner for mother earth and shows concerns towards the rising global issues such as climate change, flash floods, extreme heat waves, a global pandemic, etc. In 2012, when Nirbhaya was attacked, India recorded 24,923 rape cases and these numbers raised questions about the poor implementation of the law in the country. Firdausi felt sensitive towards such societal issues and worked on a series of paintings themed ‘Don’t Touch My Clothes’. She wanted to shed light on crimes of sexual assault and wished to encourage women to exercise their choice. She finds conversations and work about changing the culture of sexual harassment and discrimination to be in dire need.
Being a nature lover and an artist, there are definite opinions about specific issues, passions and beliefs that are imprinted in her heart and naturally flow out as she paints. Through these works, she tries to convey the message that we have forgotten our rich tradition of love and admiration for nature.
“Touching the chords of sensibility”
Hailed as the voice that keeps regional poetry dominant in mainstream Odia music, the journey of Susmita Das as a singer goes beyond the common narratives. Her versatility spans poetry, literature, devotional and contemporary themes. Based in Bhubaneswar, Susmita Das is a popular name in India, primarily in Odisha. The artist believes in the art of music as a medium for finding relevancy in addressing societal issues. Through her music, she was able to raise awareness on the myriad of contemporary community-based issues such as conservation of the environment, women’s empowerment, cleanliness, the promotion of tribal and folk tunes and Odia Swabhiman. With her musical ventures, she has successfully staked Odisha’s claim to get the GI tag for Rasagola.
She describes herself as quite selective when it comes to the lyrics and quality of her songs because of the lasting impression her art makes on the audience. She says, “My desire has been to touch the chords of sensibility in my listeners and leave an impact. That is why I am so particular about the lyrics.”
Her composition, ‘Naari, celebrates womanhood by delving into the three crucial stages of a woman’s life: the maiden, the mother, and the elder. Defined as a ‘creative fusion’, based on the themes of climate change and natural calamities, ‘Prithvi Manthan’ is a very forceful, packed with mantras, and rhythmic composition.
Speaking on her future ventures, the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award says, “I have plans for making songs about Odia culture, pride, and history.”
“Exuding regional authenticity”
Rajesh Ranjan Mohanty is an Indian filmmaker, director, producer, screenwriter, visual artist and poet whose work is known in eastern India cinema. Rajesh has used the medium of cinema to cast the spotlight on social and developmental issues. Within a decade, Rajesh produced and directed more than 40 documentaries, two feature films and more than 100 musicals in several languages. His films are based on social issues such as disability, women, tribal communities, sanitation, education and other developmental issues. His latest feature film, Khyudha, was adapted from Indian author Padma Bhusan Manoj Das’s 1943 story Eka Chorira Bruttanta.
Expressing his thoughts on art, he says, “For me, the best way to get inspiration for art is to look at another, because art is an inner feeling and imagination. If I need to get into gear, I will look at Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s artistic touch and music in his cinema.”
The filmmaker strongly affirms the conveyance of social messages and awareness through the medium of visual storytelling. He says, “Among all my works and creations, my directorial debut, The Compassionate Crusader (2012), is a non-feature docudrama film that spreads out most messages towards societal issues. It is the story of a person who is blind by birth but has never let his disability pull him down. Rather, he used the disadvantage to rise above others in the service of the physically challenged, which was screened at the Yes I Can Change Award in Mumbai by the Yes Foundation and the We Care Film Festival. It is an effort by the Indian organisation in partnership with UNESCO to raise awareness and dispel stereotypes about people with disabilities.”
Rajesh believes in exuding regional authenticity while manifesting the art. He adds, “As an artist, I have always shown Odia culture in its most authentic form, whether it be our very own handloom fabrics that I’ve used on my actors or subjects or the beautiful landscapes our state is blessed with. I’ve travelled most of Odisha and tried to capture its essence, as you can see in our content photography.” He banks on the revival of Odia literature and believes that this is the right time for it.
He further adds, “I want to produce my dream project, a movie titled Mohini, based on a true event. It is a story about an innocent girl who ends up as a kotha dancer and subsequently becomes a prostitute. You will be able to experience literature-based lyrics with an acoustic-flavoured raga-based number.”