Bhubaneswar, March 11: Women painters here have taken up the brush to give colour to the dreams and concerns of their brethren at the sixth edition of the annual art exhibition, Art Era.

The exhibition was inaugurated at Odisha Modern Art Gallery on Women’s Day.

The weeklong national-level art exhibition that features works of 40 women painters is an ensemble of sentiments, hopes, aspirations and views of women across the country.

Apart from the poignant images the artists have presented, the techniques of art used by the women are also fascinating.

Painters from all over the state have showcased their works at the exhibition. Be it the intense themes on women’s emotional behaviour using a language of symbols by artist Helen Brahma or the emphatic depiction of woman’s strong existence by Lipishree Nayak, many young artists have portrayed women as independent and free.

Odisha-based artists such as Chitra Patnaik, Shaista Naaz, Pragyan Paramita, Atasi Basu and many more have used brilliant strokes with vivid hues and at times thick textures to give a powerful representation to their expressions in their paintings.

Works of Delhi-based artists such as Shubhra Chand, Ragini Sinha, Lipsa Mohanty, Nibedita Patnaik and Chhattisgarh-based artists such as Reena Tripathy Kar and Sunita Verma are also displayed at the art exhibition.

“We are glad that we get a forum to present paintings that focus on a woman’s life and our opinion of the world. Many young artists find it difficult to continue with their passion for fine arts after getting married and looking after the family. But it is possible to balance both,” said Helen Brahma.

Despite the efforts for years, it is still tough to bring out women artists to hold the brush and express themselves on canvas, said organiser Tarakant Parida.

“Women are naturally creative but many abandon their talent for various social reasons. But Odisha is in need of women artists, many of who have created a place for themselves in the national art scene already. This is only a small effort but we will continue our attempts to find women artists and give them a forum,” said Parida, also the proprietor of the gallery.

Art Era continues till March 14.