Bhubaneswar, March 25: Terracotta artists from across the state are working on murals based on the Odia identity at a camp under way at Rashtriya Lalit Kala Akademi in the city. The same venue also hosted graphic artists from various states who created artworks at a printmaking workshop.
The terracotta camp that began on Sunday features 10 young artists from various parts of the state, all of them trained by Debraj Sahoo, known as the father of terracotta in the state. Sahoo passed away on Sunday.
"Debraj sir was the most humble person one could meet. He was a pioneer in terracotta and he gave it a new identity by bringing image into pottery. Whatever we make today is an inspiration from his works. He was a visionary," said Saroj Kumar Rout, terracotta artist and convener of the camp.
The participating artists said that everything they created at the camp would be a tribute to the master artist and craftsman.
Sahoo was born in Ranapur of Khurda district in 1941. He graduated in fine arts from Khallikote and soon became a trainer at the Handicrafts Training Centre in Bhubaneswar (now Sidac) and also a lecturer at B.K. College of Arts and Crafts. He won all major state awards and even the national award for handicrafts and trained hundreds of terracotta artists in creating contemporary designs. The Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi held a meeting in his memory in Bhubaneswar today.
At the camp, the artists are making terracotta artworks in the form of clay tablets with designs focusing on the identity of Odisha. "We are working on the theme 'Bande Utkal Janani' as a tribute to the state ahead of Utkal Divas on April 1," said Narottam Das, another artist.
The works will be permanently displayed on the Akademi walls when they are ready.
The etching or printmaking workshop commenced on March 18 where 15 artists from Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha created some impressive works. The workshop concluded today with the works exhibited at the Akademi gallery.
"It was wonderful to be at the camp where everyone was given the freedom and space to work in their own style. My signature works are based on the mentality of the youth and that is reflected in my etchings here," said Kumar Ranjan from Jharkhand, whose work depicts a youngster and graffiti around the figure.
