Bhubaneswar, Aug. 31: Young artists of the state got a pat on the back from the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi.

At the 36th State Art Awards, hosted by the Buddha Art Gallery, eight artists were awarded for their work today. Art works of around 300 artists have also been on display at an exhibition here.

Of the 378 art works sent by 235 artists from across the state, 135 were shortlisted by the jury. The jury comprised senior artists such as Atasi Basu, Brajabandhu Mishra, Panchanan Sur and Prahalad Behera. The final jury reviewed the art works in March, out of which eight artists were selected for the prestigious award.

Among the awardees, Ashok Choudhury's charcoal drawing on paper titled 'Non-veg' depicts a wall with the image of a nude figure with graffiti while Sitaram Swain's acrylic work 'Ravan' shows the 26/11 attacks on Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

Biranchi Narayan Behera's palm leaf art won the traditional category award. The striking work 'Krishna Leela,' showcases palm leaf etching, portraying the romance of Krishna.

Smrutikanta Rout's sculpture in stone and bronze depicts an embryo while 'Save Child,' a ply cut graphic art by Sasmita Biswal showcases a child sleeping on a log.

Bhabani Shankar Das's painting 'The Golden Bird' and Chinmayee Behera's detailed work of a kitchen corner are striking and both of them won the awards. Raghunath Sahoo, who is well known for his paintings, won the award for his watercolour work of a village life scene, showing an elderly woman cooking in traditional clay stove.

Among the exhibited works, Pramoda Kumar Mohanty's 'Inner Space' is a brilliant abstract composition as is Parameswar Samal's work on time and memory. Mausumi Mahapatra's untitled painting is intriguing while Helen Brahma and Juhi Das Mohapatra have also showcased immaculate works. Fascinating paintings and sculptures are also on display.

The first full-fledged art gallery of the state government is attracting many art-loving visitors.

"There are hundreds of art works displayed here and most of them are captivating. It is a wonderful sight check the talent of our young artists," said Pritiparna Das, a visitor.

The exhibition is on till September 6.