Images that speak many stories

BHUBANESWAR: To encourage women artists in the state and give them a platform to showcase their creations, a few women artists with support of Orissa Modern Art Gallery launched Art Era four years ago. Art Era marks a congregation of women artists of the State who meet every year on Women’s Day to work together and come up with creations that are exhibited at a gallery.“We launched this exclusive women artists’ annual fair in the State capital with support of the gallery in 2009.  The aim was to showcase celebration of womanhood and women’s creativity on canvas,” said Chitra Patnaik, convener of Art Era and Odisha Women Artists’ Forum. This time, the art meet with over 25 participants across Odisha commenced with an on-the-spot painting workshop at Balasore followed by an ongoing week-long exhibition at the Lalit Kala Akademi here that introduced several gifted and promising painters. Many works in the exhibition are on women - their dreams, hopes, disillusionment and despair. Some even bear an autobiographical touch. Like their lives, their paintings were realistic, simple and transparent. One does not have to toil to understand what these artists meant to say. A glance at the works touched the viewers. All the works are also unique in their treatment and technique.A large painting of rural women with books in their hands catches the attention of visitors at the exhibition. Painter Bhagyashree through this creation tries to portray the need of women empowerment in villages through education. Painter Satyabhama Majhi uses fine strokes in acrylic to illustrate the modern Bhubaneswar through objects that represent the change in the city. “I paint a lady performing gymnastics in most of my works. This is to represent the life of urban people who have to face hardships and stress, similar to that of a gymnast in sports,” she says.While Manjushree Das’ painting depicts a vivid picture of the Ghatagaon Tarini shrine set amid forests, Atasi Basu Jena attempts to show the ill effects of environmental degradation on humanity. Lipishree Nayak and Kumari Sonia paint nature and their works are refreshing with harmony in the collage of colours. Lipishree’s paintings are an innovative attempt to portray woman’s life through Mother Nature. Sonia, the speech and hearing impaired painter, has painted a mediating woman amid lush green surroundings. Similarly, Swagatika Sethy’s painting ‘Walking Time’ with a ‘modern public school’ in the rustic setting of a village conveys the message of importance of education. Puri-based artist Prativa Das, Mamta Samantray, Sasmita Mishra, Saista Naz also impress with their figurative paintings. “The visitors could instantly connect to the works without the help of any explanation from the artist. This touched me a lot,” said Gallery director and painter Tarakant Parida, who curatted the exhibition.