Bhubaneswar: A nine-day traditional mural art camp, organised by the Odia Language Literature and Culture department in association with Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi, at the heritage crafts village of Raghurajpur in Puri district concluded Wednesday.
More than 150 artists of the village participated in the camp with strict adherence to Covid guidelines. The artists used the walls of their houses as platforms to showcase their skills. Many of them have already created an identity for themselves at national and international levels.
Each artist was awarded a cash prize of Rs 10,000 by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who participated in the concluding ceremony virtually.
The best five artists would be selected for felicitation by Lalit Kala Akademi, sources said.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Raghurajpur village is the pride of Odisha and its artists and their art have brought laurels for the state. Raghurajpur is the birthplace of great artistes like Odissi guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.”
Patnaik said the art camp at Raghurajpur has been documented and it will be available on YouTube and other social media platforms for the whole world.
Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi president Sudarsan Pattnaik said, “The art camp was an opportunity for the painters to display their talent and uphold the artistic tradition of the craft village.”
Odia Language Literature and Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi also participated in the concluding ceremony virtually. Among others, principal secretary of the department Bishnupada Sethi and Akademi secretary Panchanan Samal were present on the occasion.