A painting by artist Manas Shome on display in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, April 28: Artist Manas Shome believes eyes are the mirror of the soul, which is why he accentuates this feature in most of his paintings. And this unique style has helped him carve a niche for himself in the world of art.

A winner of the Shankar International Children’s Competition as a child, Bhubaneswar-based Shome began his professional career in fine arts in Bangalore in 2002. There, he got an opportunity to work with an eminent artist, Jatinder Kaur, and interact with other artists of national and international repute. Within no time, he became a well-known professional in art circles for his striking works.

Thereafter, Shome conducted solo and group exhibitions in collaboration with other Bangalore-based artists. His paintings conveyed the essence of the complicated web of emotional relationships. In some of his paintings, he has introduced an Indian flavour, a shift from European influence in his earlier works.

Using oil as a medium, Shome mostly concentrates on abstract and semi-abstract forms of painting. Many of his paintings contain human or animal figures, with a clear emphasis on the eyes.

He moved to Bhubaneswar in 2007 and a year later, conducted his first exhibition here. His series, “Within Us”, was based on the concept of return to childhood and innocence, far away from an aggressively competitive world. He has also been part of a fusion event along with a Hindustani classical vocalist where his brush strokes on the canvas moved with the rise and fall of the singer’s tunes.

Last Sunday, Shome was at Kala Darshan, the monthly event of city-based Orissa Modern Art Gallery, where he met budding artists and spoke about his technique and style of painting.

Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: “I had been dormant for a couple of years due to the lack of market interest in Bhubaneswar. There is a need to create awareness about the value of art,” said Shome.

He said artists in Orissa, apart from individual styles, should come up with a group style that could give the state a national exposure. He cited the names of various art studios in metros such as Mumbai, Calcutta and Delhi which promote group style of painting. Stressing on the talent pool here, he said: “The artists in Orissa are pretty good and energetic. They should cover more of current social issues on their canvasses. Instead of confining themselves to one region, they should travel more and communicate with different artists. If they work on group style, it could bring a lot of variety to their painting.”

Shome is now planning to relocate to Calcutta by the end of this week. “I have had a good experience working in different places but now, home beckons,” he said.