CHAITALI SHOME,OP
Ajaya Mohanty’s oil paintings are a true celebration of life. His work has a vibrancy and a quality that sees faceted colours and brush marks dance across the surface of the canvas. A harmonious colour palette reveals subtle tonal changes, modelling the forms of figures within a balanced composition that is both contemporary and deeply rooted in the traditions of figurative art.
Based in New Delhi, Mohanty graduated from B.K Art College in Bhubaneswar and he is an artist of great stature. Orissa Post interacted with this amazing artist at his Jharpada home wherein Mohanty talked at length about his new project, his free art camps for children and beginners and his dream project in Odisha.
How did you start painting? What inspires you to paint?
I hail from Jagatsinghpur and from my childhood I was busy copying images from books to my Slate.Whenever I could get my hands on crayons and pencils I start to draw. I participated in the Shankar International Children Competition for art in New Delhi at a tender age. I won my first awardfor child art,for my painting depicting the fight between Ram and Ravana. This award inspired me to become a painter.
Tell us something about your current activities?
Being an artist I have always crossed geographical lines. I went to New Delhi in 1997 and started working on realistic paintings. My works are showcased at the Habitat art gallery, All India institute of fine arts and craft society, Lalit kala Academi New Delhi. I also held an exhibition in Bhutan.
Tell us about your painting s showcased in Odisha?
I held an exhibition called Renaissance of time at Regional State Lalit Kala Academi in 2016.It was entirely based on Spiritualism and Currently my painting titled you are under Surveillance is displayed at Subhadra Art gallery here.
What message do you try to impart through your paintings?
I work on spiritual theme in a surrealist style and I have always tried to express human emotions through my painting. I am also trying express how to live a free life in this materialistic world.
Do you have any Project for Odisha?
I want to open up an art village in Odisha where people will be trained in different art media to help them to excel in International art competitions and fest.
