Pablo Picasso once said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Panchanan Samal, an eminent artist and sculptor, lives by these lines as he considers art fundamental to his life. Born in Hatasaria of Balasore district in 1973, he has bagged the prestigious State Lalit Kala Akademi twice. Acting on the advices of his school teacher Rabindranath Das and uncle Parsuram Rout, he forayed into the artistic world in 1988. He established Dhauli College of Art and Crafts in 1994. On a brief interaction with Orissa Post, Samal threw light on his several milestones and future plans.
What made you set foot in the artistic world?
The sculptures made by my grandfather always inspired me. My first-ever sculpture was made out of wet clay. One of my fondest memories of childhood is showing it to my grandfather who praised it a lot. However, my first teacher was my father was a painter apart from being a primary school teacher. I was taught by Shiva Panigrahi and Byomkesh Mohanty at B.K Art College in 1988. I did my masters in fine arts from Indira University of Art and Music in Madhya Pradesh.
What was the inspiration behind establishing Dhauli College of Art and Crafts?
During my time in New Delhi, I realized that creative paintings would never go out of trend in the art world. Therefore, I thought of establishing a college, where I and my friend Prabir can teach students about advanced and creative art. We established the college in 1994. Currently, 150 students have enrolled in our college. The college has 16 teaching and non-teaching faculties.
What are the themes that appeal to you the most?
During my childhood, I used to lend a helping hand to my late grandfather Guina Charan Pradhan and late father Taranikanta Samal in painting and sculpting idols of Goddess Sarswati and Ganesh. Therefore, I am naturally attracted towards making idols. Besides, I am also inspired by practical themes. I am usually engaged in creative paintings, potraits, and landscapes.
Which of your works has been most acclaimed?
One of my works Untitled IV depicts a man watching the whole world through his laptop screen while the actual world awaited him on the background. This particular work of mine was praised a lot.
Describe your emotions on bagging the State Lalit Kala Akademi award twice.
I had won the first Lalit kala Akademi award on 1999 for my work Untitled II and another one for my painting Untitled VI in the year 2001. Winning these awards were watershed moments for me as people were finally appreciating creative art. Besides, I have also won Kalamitra Foundation award in Hyderabad in 2015 and Subharati University award in Meerut in 2016.
Tell us about your future plans.
I have always wished for a world where every artist would be assisted with an enabling environment for creating masterpieces. I wish constant financial support for all artists of the state. I support many budding artists financially so that they can pursue their goals. I also impart my teachings to several young children for free.
Chaitali Shome, OP