The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Savouring the best of Orissa

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Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Savouring the best of Orissa

Staff Reporter

Exquisite art works from the region on display

Rural touch: Exhibits from Orissa on display at an art exhibition in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: Exquisite art works from Orissa such as the traditional Patta Chitra, Tussar paintings and silver jewellery, are here. The Utkalika exhibition has brought together traditional utility items, handicrafts and decorative pieces from the region.

From utility items including pen stands, coasters, baskets, bamboo panels, screens, bags, jewellery boxes and others, the exhibition also has silver jewellery including earrings, necklaces and rings that speak of intricate craftsmanship that is distinctive of the State.

Patta Chitra is a form of painting which employs a mixture of tamarind seeds and chalk as the base. The design, usually on mythological themes and gods and goddesses, are painted with earth and stone colours. Such paintings are used on jewellery boxes and wall hangings.

Another variation

Another variation of this style is the Tussar painting, wherein the surface painted is a piece of Tussar cloth. The sculptures, which are mainly of female dancers in Odissi mudras, are made of sandstone, and remind one of the Sun Temple at Konark.

Sangeeta Ghoshal, a Bangalore-based painter says: “I love handicrafts from Orissa, and exhibitions such as these are the only places I can pick up such items from.” There are also fine examples of metalware from this region, in the form of small decorative artefacts. These range from small depictions of the Konark wheel to large three-foot figures of danseuses and even Buddha.

Palm-leaf engraving is done with an iron needle and then a dark colour made of natural dyes is filled in. This technique is creatively used to make book marks and decorative items.

Golden grass is used to make various types of boxes, which were once used in the daily lives of village people, says Utkal Mohanty, vice-president of the Orissa Cultural Association. “Village people who made these boxes would barter them for something they needed.” he added. The exhibition is on at Vadiraja Kalyana Mantapa, Basavangudi, till January 11.

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