(From top) Sonu Tirki’s painting Journey reflecting the change in society; painting by Tapan Das illustrating the pursuit for material pleasures; Chandramani Biswal’s painting (left) and Baladev Moharatha’s wash painting (right) expressing pensive moods and Meditation, a painting by Prabhabati Singh on display at an art exhibition in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 31: Paintings on life and society were showcased by both young and veteran artists of the state at an exhibition that concluded last week at Jayadev Bhavan here.

The sixth edition of an exhibition by the city-based art group, Together, offered pensive and unusual portrayal of situations and moods. The art show was a tribute to legendary Odia painter Ajit Keshari Ray who passed away earlier this month.

Chandramani Biswal’s acrylic portrait of a woman in a thoughtful mood seemed like a merger of beauty and intellect while Baladev Moharatha’s classy wash painting depicted King Ashok gloomy and repentant after the Kalinga war. The use of pale and washed out colours and the unusual theme of Moharatha’s traditional art was remarkable.

An acrylic painting by Prabhabati Singh, Meditation, used the technique of light in an interesting manner. It caught the eyes of viewers because of its intriguing representation of a meditating woman who is attractive but with only a part of her face revealed in the painting.

Pradosh Swain highlighted the need to preserve palm leaves for our future generations in his work.

Khetrabasi Mohanta’s work was divided into three sections with use of symbolic images of fishes. It was an impressive abstract painting. Youngster Sonu Tiki’s work Journey showcased the movement of a herd of goats to depict the transition to a new life.

Other interesting works were Tapan Das’s painting in which he captured the thoughtful expressions of a man whose urban aspirations are seen in form of high-rise buildings in his hand.

The thick layers of shades gave a contrast and made the artwork stand out while the unusual shapes added a touch of abstractness. Trinath Majhi’s painting depicted a relaxed tribal man busy preparing his dose of homemade brew. Bijay Nayak’s work was based on symbolic gestures of romantic moods while Gouri Prasad’s work on child labour touched hearts.

A few attention-grabbing installations were also a part of the exhibition. Keshab Chandra Nath worked with stone and brass wire while Kanta Kishore’s stone sculpture, the three monkeys of Gandhi recreated with cycle chain by Umakanta and Hemanta Moharana’s wooden sculptures were striking.

Visitors of all ages made rounds of the ensemble of artworks.

“The themes as well as techniques showcased at the exhibition were diverse. They give us an insight of social practices both good and bad as well as a peep into life across the world,” said Saurabh Patnaik, an art enthusiast.