Bhubaneswar, Aug. 11: Pratap Kumar Jena is as expressive as his paintings and sculptures. The 45-year-old is a seasoned artist, apart from running a ceramic studio in Satsang Vihar here.

As an enthusiastic kid, Jena, who hails from Jajpur district, used to observe artisans carving out a Kartikeya out of mud, painting and decorating it to turn it into a figure of reverence.

Gradually, this interest took the shape of passion and he landed up at B.K. College of Art and Crafts here to hone his sculpting skills. Though he is equally adept in painting, lithograph and etching and a few other genres of fine arts, his love for sculptures remain unflinching.

After his graduation, he left for Santiniketan for his master’s degree where he met eminent artists, who inspired him and the institute helped him grow as an artist.

“More than what is taught in the class, one learns from watching the works of fellow students and seniors. The workshops and art camps where the ideas and techniques collaborate add to one’s knowledge more than what is written in books,” said Jena.

At Santiniketan, he carefully watched the works of noted artists such as Ajit Chakraborty, Sarbari Roy Chowdhury and Bikash Debnath. He also learnt a lot from foreign students, who came to study there and brought with them their own style of painting and sculpting.

He got a research grant from Lalit Kala Akademi that saw him work extensively in places like New Delhi and Jaipur.

He also worked as a toy-designing firm based in Gurgaon. Over the years, he has worked in mediums such as black marble, sandstone, granite, fibreglass and woodcarving.

He firmly believes that conceptualising is more important than the medium. Inspired by Revati, a classic of writer Fakir Mohan Senapati, Jena has created a series of sculptures of girls from various age groups.

A lot of his works are inspired from nature.

Jena feels that though sculptures are in demand these days not much importance is given to the sculptor.

“We have many able artists in the state but we need more art connoisseurs. Even art schools should have small-time courses teaching art appreciation,” said the artist, who has extensively taken part in various national and international art symposiums and has also been honoured at numerous events.