Bhubaneswar, Jan. 2: Creations of veteran artists from across the state have been put up at an exhibition at the OIC Gallery of IRC Village in the city.

Most of the paintings focus on varying moods of women and their sensuality. Gouranga Bariki's painting of a woman plucking flowers in an early winter morning has abundant use of bright colours while Suresh Dhala's nude portrait of a young woman speaks volumes about the sensibility of the painter.

A set of 18 pencil drawings by eminent cardiologist and artist J.P. Das has received huge appreciation. His abstract art forms resemble various figures of women. Another painting, Two Faces of a Woman, by the veteran artist brilliantly portrays two sides of a woman - strong and soft.

A series of paintings by young artist Anuradha Pradhan portrays nuances of emotions such as sadness, jealousy and guilt among others in a woman.

While Subrat Seth's portrait of a tribal girl is striking, Durga Prasad Das's image of a woman singing a lullaby to her baby is a treat for the eyes.

Ashutosh Patra's portrait of a man sitting in padmasana is about peace of mind and Bijay Mallick's art focuses on conservation of natural resources such as water and energy.

The paintings were created using various kinds of media from acrylic to pencil sketches. Stone carvings and paintings based on local art forms such as pattachitra, saura and palm leaf were also exhibited.

This was the first exhibition conducted at the gallery set up by art connoisseur Dhiren Das. 'There are no dearth of talent in our state, but many a time, artists do not get a platform to showcase their skills. The gallery is set up with an aim to ensure that more solo and group shows are organised,' said Das.

The exhibition that showcases 40 paintings of 18 artists will continue till January 4.