Art works displayed on a cot at an exhibition titled History of Bed at Lalit Kala Akademi in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

Artist Sovan Kumar has showcased his works of art on traditional cots collected from across the state.

Eight cots collected from people in Paralakhemundi, Ranapur, Puri, Ganjam and various districts are used as pedestals for Kumar's art works. While on one cot one can see a stone sculpture of a sleeping Buddha with paintings in the backdrop, on another terracotta miniatures of people can be spotted.

"When I had planned to make a traditional cot the pedestal to showcase my art works a decade ago, I came across many interesting stories behind such cots. I started collecting those that were no longer being used and mostly discarded despite beautiful carvings and techniques used by the old carpenters. I had to repair some and polish or paint some," Kumar said. The show commenced on May 7 and it will continue till May 17.

Text by Namita Panda

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