Bhubaneswar-based Sai Kalyani has excelled in almost everything she has done since childhood. And she gives all the credit to her father, Kirtan Chandra Sahoo. “My father was a very talented clay artiste. In fact, he had many talents. Inspired by him, I started participating in all kinds of competitions, be it singing, dancing or painting. I would often come out with flying colours,” says Sai, who belongs to Khanditar, Jajpur.
Sai, who has also performed on stage as an actor, says that, of all the art forms, painting has always been her first love. “I don’t know how I developed an interest in painting. I never learnt painting but would often come first in competitions held in my school. This made me take it up seriously and I started practicing at home,” she says.
However, she had to face some obstacles. Academics were always a priority and painting gradually took a backseat. “Post marriage, I gave up almost everything that I had enjoyed doing since childhood. Painting was the only thing that I couldn’t do away with. I would paint whenever I got time,” says the artist.
Sai’s husband encouraged her to take painting seriously. However, finding a good tutor became a challenge as she had shifted base to Chhattisgarh after marriage. “My husband was so supportive that he would time and again try to get a transfer to Bhubaneswar, but it never materialised. I didn’t lose hope and continued working on my paintings. I would practice after my children left for school. Gradually, I started putting up my works on social media sites. This attracted the attention of people and my works were appreciated. But that was limited to sketches,” says Sai.
Finally, Sai permanently shifted base to Bhubaneswar after 18 years. She says, “In Bhubaneswar, I came across painter Raghunath Sahoo’s works. I was so impressed by his works that I tracked him down on social media and contacted him. He saw my works and was surprised to know that I had no formal training in painting. I was introduced to acrylic painting under his tutelage. He also taught me about colour combinations and how to mix colours.”
Since 2015, when Sai started learning from Raghunath, she has showcased her creations at several group and solo exhibitions across the country. In Bhubaneswar, her works have been displayed at exhibitions held at Subhadra Art Gallery and Lalit Kala Akademi on several occasions.
Besides, she has also travelled with her works to cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur and Bhiwadi. “In Delhi and Kolkata, I won the best painter award for my works on the mother-child relationship. My works, one of a woman offering flowers to Lord Jagannath and another of Lord Ganesha drew lot of accolades at the fourth edition of the India Art Festival, Delhi,” she says.
Sai’s strength lies in capturing human emotions as expressed through facial expressions. She also loves painting tribal life and figurative art. “I have been inclined towards making realistic paintings since childhood. Nature, animals and birds have always attracted me. But I don’t like painting landscapes. I like figurative art. I have done a series on Buddha and his life. I prefer my paintbrush telling stories of our culture and heritage,” says Sai, who is gearing up for her next solo exhibition.
BRATATI BARAL, OP