BHUBANESWAR: A traditional Pattachitra artiste Dinabandhu Mahapatra’s works will be showcased at a solo art expo in Dhauli College of Art and Crafts here in May.
Born in 1958, Mahapatra belongs to an artisan family in Raghurajpur heritage village of Puri. The great Odissi exponent Padma Bibhusan Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra also belonged to the same family. His first guru is his father Late Kalu Mohapatra. He lost his father at the tender age of 10 and later mastered the art from Guru Benudhar Mohapatra, national Awardee, Bhubaneswar Mohapatra and Bhagabata Moharana, national Awardee.
He became a professional Pattachitra artisan at the age of 18. Apart from Patti (traditional canvass), he uses other mediums like Palm Leaf Engraving, Tassar (Silk), Terracotta Base and Wooden Base for his works. His paintings are mostly liked by foreign art lovers, who make a beeline at the village to purchase them.
Most of his paintings adorn the walls of Govt. Offices in the state and are given as mementoes to state guests. Over the years, he has created many master pieces in Pattachitra, some of which are displayed in many national and international Museums including the British Museum.
He is working as a guru in Pattachitra craft for the last 38 years including his tenure as Senior Instructor at Govt. of Odisha Handicraft Training Institute located at Bhubaneswar. During this period, he has created more than 1000 pattachitra artisans under Guru-Sishya tradition of learning. Four of his students have received National Merit Certificate from Govt of India.
He has also performed live demonstration at several places in India and abroad including Germany for popularising the art form. Interacting with Orissa Post Mahapatra said, “It’s an honour for me as my works would be showcased in such a prestigious art institute. I am certainly looking forward to it.”
He has organised a number of Pattachitra camps and workshops to revive and popularise the art form. Apart from this, he has created a Palm Leaf Engraving master piece in colour using vegetable and mineral dyes for the first time in history.