Group show promotes unsung artists from Odisha

Paintings capturing the best of flora and fauna of a village life in Odisha are part of an exhibition that aims to promote talented but unsung artists from the state.
Titled "Hues Of Neelanchal", the show which began today at Lalit Kala Akademi here, displays works of nine contemporary as well as folk artists in oil, acrylic, watercolours and waste material on the canvass.
Curated by Art Tree, the show attempts to create a space for marginalised artists while showcasing some of their unseen works for the first time in the city.
"It has been curated to promote talent of some of the struggling artists from Odisha. The artworks included in the show have a wide range of artistic imagination, counting from contemporary to folk art.

"The show reveals stories of several artists who have risen from modest backgrounds and are trying to create a space for themselves in the market today," says Pragati Agarwal, curator of the show.
Delhi-based Oriya artist, Deenabandhu Marndi has captured different shades of a village life in Odisha.

In most of his paintings, the face of the character is hidden so as to create a sense of anonymity in the mind of viewer.
"I intentionally do not reveal the face of the character in most of paintings because I believe that lucid facial expressions in portraits trap viewers and prevent them from thinking beyond the frame.

"With faces hidden the viewer gets an opportunity to analyse the situation as well as the personality of the character and think beyond facial expressions," says Marndi.
He has used jute as a medium for the canvas to promote the fabric's cultivation in Odisha.
Artist Rajnesh Pattanaik has painted life size pictures of animals to signify the struggles of daily life.
"The animals symbolising power and aggression have been a subject of inspiration for me. Although the paintings here are portraits of animals but I have always been inspired by them to take actions accordingly in my day today life.

"Horse, lion and bull are symbols of solidarity, power and aggression which has become a common trait of people living in cities," says Pattanaik about his collection, titled "City Light".
The exhibition will continue till February 25.