Bhubaneswar, Sept. 27: A team of Odia artists recently returned from Kuala Lumpur after showcasing their exhibits for over a month at the Sutra Art Gallery there.

The participants included painter, author and art historian Dinanath Pathy, painter, writer and art historian Lekhasri Samantsinghar and writer, poet and bureaucrat Bijay Mohanty.

Lekhasri, an assistant professor in zoology at Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, showcased her paintings in a solo exhibition titled Memories of the Other Earth at the Sutra Gallery from August 16 till last week.

Bijay Mohanty introduced his book of poetry Moored to the Shadow to Malaysians, while Pathy presented his views on Odissi, painting, literature and general state of art in Odisha at the same event that was inaugurated by the High Commissioner of India to Malaysia Vijay Gokhale.

The trio wished to make Malaysians aware of the art and literature of Odisha through their effort.

This was Lekhasri’s third solo exhibition of paintings — a collection of 20 works.

Always inclined to create abstract forms to depict the ethereal connect between the self and the spirit, the painter had presented her unique ensemble to reflect traditions of Odisha. “It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of art lovers in Kuala Lumpur. They were interested to know my experiences as a painter especially as a woman artist as well as about Odisha’s heritage,” she said .

Pathy talked about the rich Odia tradition of art and culture and their contribution to the cultural heritage of Malaya-Indonesian history.

He gave examples from his book Rethinking Odissi and made an impressive case for closer cultural cooperation between Malaysia and India.

The discussion was moderated by Ramli Ibrahim, Malaysian Odissi dancer, who recently received the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from India and is the founder of the Sutra gallery.

The team then went to Bali, Indonesia and visited the ancient Balinese village of Tinganan where the early settlers from Odisha have preserved the tradition of ikkat and other cultural elements. The team discussed with the local residents and ruminated over the ancient maritime history of Kalinga.

“Much of ancient Odisha can still be seen in these regions where Odia traders used to regularly sail for business,” said Pathy.