Sculptor Uma Shankar Dash’s 6ft-high shrimp made of steel rods and pipes and (right) Subrat Seth’s portrait of a tribal girl at the art exhibition, Togather, at Rashtriya Lalit Kala Akademi in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, May 14: Profound thoughts came together with powerful imagery at art exhibition, Together. A team of around 40 renowned and amateur artists presented around 150 striking art works at the exhibition.

The five-day event held at regional centre of Lalit Kala Akademi concluded today. Manash Jena, a professor of painting at B.K. College of Art and Crafts curated the eighth edition of the exhibition.

Young artist Parameswar Samal is deeply moved by the predicament of birds that are gradually withering away from cities, thanks to massive electrification. He exhibited a handful of acrylic paintings, all of which were based on this unified theme. A fleet of birds shown coming out of a chimney, small light bulbs inside the beak of sparrows, lovebirds watching a fleet of migratory birds flying away from the city were the products of Samal’s mind.

Subrat Seth had also touched upon the same subject. Only, instead of birds, he highlighted human displacement. A portrait of a tribal girl using dull colours in the background depicts the bleak future of the community that is driven away from its land to make space for industries.

Painter D. Shiva Acharya took a dig at the present state of affairs by using the metaphor of a scarecrow in place of traffic controller at a crossroads.

Many artists also took inspiration from history and mythology. Anjanya Mohapatra’s series on Gautam Buddha and Jitendra Kumar Swain’s work on Lord Vishnu were among the works based on divine figures. Photographer Sanjoy Singh Roy displayed his clicks capturing monuments and human emotions.

Sculptor Uma Shankar Dash’s 6ft-high shrimp made of steel rods and pipes was well appreciated by the visitors. The exhibition showcased paintings that were simple in their expression and an equal number of works that left a lot to the perception of the viewers. From beautiful landscapes to abstract arts showcasing psychedelic designs, the exhibition has something to satisfy the taste of every art connoisseur.

The variations were not only limited to techniques. Portraits as small as 1sqft to 5ft tall ones adorned the walls of the exhibition hall.

Eminent artists such as Siba Panigrahi and Baldev Maharatha also displayed their creations. “Together has 500 members across India. Our main objective is to promote young artists. Our next exhibition will be held in Hyderabad in October,” said Jena.