by Kapilas Bhuyan
(In fond memory of Dr. Dinanath Pathy, 1942-2016)
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”, as put by the most eminent scientist Albert Einstein is very relevant even today.
Realising the utmost importance of nature in the existence of the living beings, the Bhubaneswar based ‘Ketaki Foundation Trust’ is going to organize ‘Lulung Painters’ Camp 2019’ in the nature’s lap of the Similipal Biosphere Reserve Forest for the first ever time. The venue of this one week camp between 10th and 15th September, 2019 is at Aranya Nivas Lulung which is about 22 km away from Baripada, the district head quarter of Mayurbhanj. The attempt is a joint collaboration between ‘Ketaki Foundation Trust’ and ‘Aranya Nivas Lulung’.
“The sole intention of organising the camp is an attempt to bring together art, culture and traditions in the lap of Similipal Biosphere Reserve Forest where the participating artists will not only paint, but also observe the wonders of nature and interact with the local people”, says the eminent artist and the Convenor of the camp Ramahari Jena.
Although staying and working at different locations in the country, all the ten participating Odia artists including the convenor are very well known painters both at local and national level. Whereas Bibhu Pattnaik, Sudhansu Sutar and Birendra Pani, etc. are based in New Delhi, Veejayant Kumar Dash, Ramakant Samantray, Susant Kumar Panda, Satyabhusan Hota, Ranjan Maharana and Bhabani Shankar Das, etc. are working artists in Bhubaneswar. It’s worth mentioning that Satyabhusan Hota is an alumnus of the famous J J College of Art, Mumbai.
The participating artists will create works of art highlighting the theme of the camp ‘I am with Nature’. They will work together to collaborate in their creative endeavour, create individual works and will have inspiration drawn from each other’s background, nature and tradition and experiences that might transform them as better individuals. The objective of the event is to interweave discerning creativity and the simplicity of nature. There will be screening of films on Simlipal and also on art & artists.
The camp will host a series of interactive sessions through workshops at local school of Lulung. It is intended that during the interactive sessions topics like cultural and artistic exchange and modernity and environment in the global scenario will be discussed. “These painters will also be doing Yoga together. They will also get the first hand experience of the very ethnic and folkdance forms like Chhau and Jhumar of Mayurbhanj and will get culturally connected with the artists”, emphasizes Ramahari Jena.
The camp will be covered by ‘Curly Tales’ for their tour and travel guide programme which will be reflected in multiple websites, blogsites and paid & full-optimised social media.
The paintings that’ll be created extempore at the camp will be displayed in a special exhibition to be inaugurated by prominent guests on a later date.
(The writer is a Senior Journalist and National Award Winning Filmmaker based in Bhubaneswar)
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