Cattle art on canvas

Artist Chittaranjan Sahu’s painting on display at Jayadev Bhawan in Bhubaneswar and (below) visitors at the exhibition. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, May 2: They were partners in Lord Krishna’s mischief and close to Lord Shiva. Cows, oxen and bulls — cattle have had a major role in Indian mythology since time immemorial, most revered of all being the Kamadhenu, that is believed to have the power to fulfil all desires.

Artist Chittaranjan Sahu attempts to reaffirm the importance of cattle through a multitude of shades in his solo art exhibition titled Kamadhenu.

Applying myriad hues to arcane images of his creativity, Sahu relives his association with cows through his paintings, drawings and installations. “At home in village, we had many cows and I have seen them take birth, grow, reproduce and die. But in cities like Bhubaneswar, cattle are considered a menace for traffic and are not at all well kept,” feels Sahu. “This had prompted me to begin a series few years ago,” says the artist whose exhibited works include those created from 2002 to 2011.

Sahu brings out the innocence of the animals and their love and attachment with the herder. But he has also illustrated the pain of the cattle when they are sold off owing to old age or sickness. In one of the striking paintings, ‘Game of Miracle’, Sahu puns through the image a chessboard on an ox about the game of power. “This painting is a reflection of the society where the powerful, represented by the ox, can afford to be carefree,” he says.

Working with oil paint and acrylic, the artist has a unique way of representing a herd of cattle by assigning different colours to each.

“I often venture to nearby villages with my students at night and early in the morning to capture the postures of cows on the streets and cowsheds,” said Sahu.

Exploring his creativity, Sahu has also displayed few interesting installations at the exhibition that have been appreciated by the viewers.

“The brass cans of milkmen have been remarkably transformed into cows. The installations are really imaginative,” said Bikash Moharana, a visitor. The two-day exhibition, which is on at Jayadev Bhawan, will end tomorrow.