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Artist moves up ladder of fame despite odds

Correspondent

A variety of pictures on display in art gallery

KORAPUT: There is a ladder and at the end of it Lord Jagannath smiles. The ladder symbolises the 22 sacred steps in the temple, crossing which one could get the glimpse of the Lord. It is one among many a picture displayed in Sudarsan’s art gallery ‘Chaka Akhi’ on the Government Art School premises, Jeypore.

Sudarsan Nag, a physically challenged youth in his early twenties, has crossed many hurdles. He could hardly walk and the wheelchair is his companion all along.

He recalled those moments when an elderly, woman whom he called Punam aunty, was his neighbour in Parabeda colony of the town. He was studying in standard VI when she had asked him to draw some pictures with her. And that’s the beginning of his journey with pencil, colours and paper.

His father was a poor mason and could hardly support him to grow in making a hobby with fine art. But, she was the force behind him and he continued to draw and paint pictures of his dream. Later, he had joined the Government Art School to pursue his diploma in Fine Arts.

Sudarsan is a student of +3 final year in Vikram Dev College taking the subjects which are far off from fine arts.

The school of fine arts at Jeypore, managed by the Department of Culture for the last 50 years, has not crossed the boundary of offering a diploma to its students. Students have to go to Khalikote in Ganjam district to get a degree in the subject and students like him, who had struggled with their financial poverty, could hardly cross the ghat and most of them have ended up in writing banners and posters meeting the local needs, he says.

He expresses gratitude to Annapurna Real Estate of Jeypore who sponsored the event. Even though fine arts could not bring sufficient financial strength to make a life of it, he has the next target, an exhibition in the State capital.

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