Bhubaneswar, June 5: Renowned artists have depicted various spiritual themes associated with the Nabakalebar rituals at Darubramha, an art exhibition that was inaugurated today at Rashtriya Lalit Kala Akademi here.

Over 30 artists have contributed to the exhibition, which is hosted by the culture department through the culture council.

Artists, most of whom are faculty members at various government art colleges, have showcased their spiritual, emotional as well as practical take on the event of the resurrection of Lord Jagannath's idol.

Most of the artworks revolve around the sacred neem tree that will be transformed into the new idol of the deity. Somanath Rout's sculpture The Divine Oracle is a fibre-made artwork, showing a wooden log with a speaker inserted inside to depict the messages the Lord preaches. Anjan Sahu's Brahma's Five Symphony is based on the panchabhuta or the five elements of life that are used in forms of five colours to create the idols during Nabakalebar. The mixed media artwork shows thick textures on canvas and cloth, and painted clay cups fixed on it, each of which holds one of the colours used to paint the deities.

Kanta Kishore Maharana, a young artist known for his experiments and concepts with installations, has showed a different aspect of the mega event. His work The Speaking Tree uses the texture of soil with black in the background, and an inset of a tree branch, from which hang red threads and bangles. "I wish to speak on behalf of the trees that are so holy that they are worshipped. But, if needed, they are cut without a second thought," Maharana said.

Veteran artist Tarakant Parida, who is secretary of the akademi, has displayed a striking piece of art. The scene of the daru, wrapped in red and being carried on a wooden cart by the servitors, has been wonderfully captured in his work that highlights the log, as only that being coloured in contrast to a black and white background.

The exhibition also shows works of Gajendra Padhy, Pratap Jena, Satyabhama Majhi and others. Many have used mixed media, especially cloth pieces, to represent the elements behind Nabakalebar.

The exhibition ends tomorrow evening.