Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 4: Seven artists had a tough time researching Orissa and presenting its culture, heritage and traditions in an art form. They displayed their talents in an art exhibition titled ‘Odyssey-II’ held at Lalit Kala Academy in the city.
The seven artists are Arjun Singh, Pinaki Ranjan Mohanty, Baishnaba Sahoo, Anup Pandey, Jitendra Kumar Bhanja, Nityananda Ojha and Priyoum Talukdar.
Pinaki Ranjan Mohanty who belongs to Golapur, a village near Chilika, grown up observing the different kinds of birds migrating to Chilika; he had also noticed that these bird had been hunted by the people.
Therefore, his painting ‘Mourning Chilika: A witness’, a portrait, spreads awareness among the people and urges them to protect the birds. His primary concern is the way people exploit the lake; the very mindless fishing activities taking place there for the sake of money pains the artist.
Meanwhile, Arjun, a witness to the tribal way of worshipping Goddess Kali has painted the Goddess as an embodiment of tranquility, sadness and restlessness, all rolled into one, where colours like blue, brown and red dominate. He said, “These images of kali are as colourful as the lives of the tribals.”
Another artist, Ojha has based his art on objects like thrown away stones, abandoned electrical, mechanical objects, plastics etc. His medium of expression therefore, is multi-media and since he prefers to motorize most of his sculptures and installation, it falls under the category of kinetics.
The exhibition had a positive impact on the audience that left the venue with a sense of fulfillment.
Renuka Samal a visitor said, “These paintings are beautiful, and each of it depicts different themes which is really heart touching. I wish, this kind of exhibition should be showcased regularly to spread awareness among the citizens.”