Paintings of Th Lokeshwari Devi and (right) RK Budhimanta on display. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 27: Painters from Manipur have brought here colourful canvases to give art lovers a glimpse of the culture and life in the northeast.

The exhibition, organised by Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi in collaboration with Manipur State Kala Akademi, is under way at the city’s Rashtriya Lalit Kala Akademi.

Around 40 works by 28 artists from Manipur are on display. While most of the works are in oil colours, some acrylic and mixed media as well as a few etchings are part of the ensemble. Finesse in strokes and mastery in depiction coupled with unique themes makes the collection a brilliant amalgamation of art works.

L. Shamu Singh, 73, the senior-most among the participating artists, captures attention with an outstanding painting that brings out images of a festive mood among the Manipuri people even in the shades of ochre, yellow and black mostly considered dull.

The artist’s expertise is clearly evident in the work Haraoba, meaning merriment in Manipuri, for the subtle colours and beautiful textures used in the oil panting.

Equally wonderful is Rajendro Sharma’s Lai Haraoba that shows a group of people busy with traditional celebrations in subtle colours but capturing the mood perfectly.

The common element in the paintings of the Manipuri artists is an unusual sense of aesthetics that matches the scenic beauty of their landscape. Lalit Singh, Y Gunindro Singh, Golmei Gandumpu, RK Thanbalsana Singh and Henba Tensuba have created some brilliant profile paintings on women, all of which have a dreamy backdrop.

Graphic artists Chandrasekhar and Samson Meetei’s works are striking, while Sanajaoba Tensuba and Leishangthem Ishwor use a riot of colours to create artistic delights through abstract visuals.

This is the second visit to the city by Manipuri artists to display their works. “We are here after 15 years. It is great to see the love for art in the people here,” said painter Kuber Singh. The exhibition is on till Monday evening.