Smrutiranjan Ojha’s Pattachitra paintings on sarees and other apparel speak volumes about his fine grasp over the medium. Besides, he also excels in singing and photography.
Born to Anjana and Harekrishna Ojha, Smrutiranjan took to painting when he was in school. However, he never had any concrete plans to take it up as a profession. “I never dreamt of a career in painting, as I was more inclined towards music as a child. However, my mother had artistic talent. She used to groom me for school-level competitions, and I used to regularly win awards. However, for me, academics were of utmost importance,” says Smrutiranjan.
It was only after his intermediate exams that Smrutiranjan, who hails from Niali, Cuttack, during a visit to a relative’s house in Bhubaneswar saw a Pattachitra artwork displayed on one of the walls. “That was perhaps when the painter in me was reborn. I asked my relative about the painting and decided to learn the nuances,” he says.
Following a discussion, Smrutiranjan decided to enroll himself at the State Institute for Handicraft and Training Centre, where he started learning the finer aspects of Pattachitra painting under the supervision of Bhikari Maharana. “On completing the course, I started practicing with Guru Gokuli Bihari Patnaik (Shilpi Guru), who is my biggest inspiration after my parents. His guidance helped me develop my skills and gave a boost to my confidence,” says Smrutiranjan.
The young painter says that his mother, who had spotted his talent at a young age, always encouraged him to take up painting seriously. “As I was more inclined towards singing, my mother thought that I would never be able to make a career out of painting. She used to worry about my future. But I would try to convince her by saying that one day she will be proud of me,” says Smrutiranjan, who won the Scholarship to Young Artists in 2013, awarded by the Ministry of Culture.
Today, Anjana is proud of her son, who is among the few emerging artists from the state. Smrutiranjan also won an award from Being India Foundation in 2015 besides finding a place in the top five in Uchaan, an online art competition held in New Delhi.
After completing his training, Smrutiranjan started doing Pattachitra painting on sarees and other apparel. This immediately brought him into the limelight. Gradually, he started receiving invitations from various organisations for conducting workshops. Till date, Smrutiranjan has conducted more than 50 workshops in cities like Delhi, Gurugram and Bangalore and is often invited to schools and fashion institutes to train students.
Till some time ago, Smrutiranjan was regularly teaching Pattachitra painting to students but he had to bring that to a halt owing to his heavy workload. Pattachitra painting is quite difficult, he says. “It is all about cloth-based scroll painting called patti. The artform is known for its intricate details as well as mythological narratives and folktales inscribed on sarees. A different kind of glue is required for Pattachitra, which is collected from a tree and then mixed with a particular kind of powder,” he explains.
Smrutiranjan’s expertise in Pattachitra has already made him a popular name. His hand-painted Pattachita sarees are in high demand and attract bulk orders from Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and other cities. “Much like handloom sarees, hand-painted Pattachitra sarees are a favourite with art lovers and never go out of fashion. Anyone who has good command over painting can take it up as a profession. However, it demands immense patience as it is time consuming. Today’s youth don’t have the patience to sit for three to four hours for painting one saree. During our training, we used to sit for even seven to eight hours. One can be successful and earn lots of money in this profession, but it demands commitment and patience,” says Smrutiranjan, who ascribes his success to his parents and wife Rajashree.
Painting might have become Smrutiranjan’s profession, but he continues to be passionate about music and photography. He loves performing on stage whenever he gets time, which at present is a challenge for the busy artist. “I have performed at a number of events in Puri, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, but these days I rarely get time to sing because of heavy workload,” says Smrutiranjan.
BRATATI BARAL, OP