Sidhartha Pani with one of his paintings at the exhibition. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 23: He is a master of therapeutic healing and now the 52-year-old is also trying his hands at oil painting.

The 52-year-old doctor, Sidhartha Pani, hails from Rourkela and based in Boston. The artist is currently exhibiting his collection of paintings at the Regional Lalit Kala Akademi.

The collection of 30 paintings titled Transition describes an artist’s imagination of the enormity of nature and landscape. Although Pani picked up the brush only four years ago, the depth of his brushstrokes has the ability to transfer the viewer into a world of bright and profound thoughts.

“Most of my paintings are based on abstract ideas and each depicts my vision of various facets of nature especially the sea and the sky,” said the artist.

An alumnus of SCB Medical College, Cuttack, Pani has exhibited his paintings at a number of international galleries such as Linus Art Gallery, California and Essex Gallery, Connecticut.

A few of his paintings portray the various feminine aspects of a woman. The paintings portray a woman daydreaming or show her contemplating over something.

His brushstrokes also brings alive a few scenic places of Germany, France and USA.

Of the seven paintings that got sold during the exhibitions, Last Light leaves an imprint. Intricate and dominated by the colour yellow, the painting leads the viewer into a conundrum.

Instead of paintbrushes, Pani mostly utilises the knife to put multiple layers of paint. That apart, he also makes use of tar, gesso and plaster to impart depth and dynamism to his paintings.

This is Pani’s first show in the country. “There could be no better feeling than exhibiting one’s skills at his native place. I am happy that people liked my paintings,” added the elated artist.

Pani said that he discovered his artistic skills after his wife enrolled him for a six-week fine arts course in Boston. “I sometimes assisted my son in drawing and colouring. Thereafter, my wife motivated me to start working on the canvas. I completed the course and there was no looking back,” said the doctor turned artist.

He feels age is not a bar to understand one’s skills. “Unless one tries, he will never know what he is best at. The artist in you can grow at any point of your life,” said Pani.