The six-day mega artists’ workshop — “Kala Kumbh” at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and the unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement, concluded here on Friday.
The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) joined hands with the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) & Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) to organise the workshop, as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Centre to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of India’s independence and the history of its people, culture, and achievements.
The workshop was held under the supervision of Adwaita Gadanayak, director-general, NGMA.
Nearly 200 artists from across India, including Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, the Northeast and Andhra Pradesh had participated and expressed the indigenous forms of art such as Pattachitra, Talapatrachitra, Manjusa, Madhubani, and Jadupatua.
“The workshop has achieved its objectives. It aimed to creatively showcase the legacy of India’s freedom struggle and national pride on five scrolls of 75 metres, which will form an integral part of the Republic Day celebrations 2022,” Gadanayak said.
“It is intended to showcase our rich cultural heritage of indigenous and contemporary visual art practices, focusing on diverse geographical locations of India. Inspiration will also be drawn from the creative illustrations in the Constitution of India wherein the artistic elements painted by Nandalal Bose and his team has imparted a distinctive appeal,” he said.
It will be an embodiment of all that is progressive about India’s socio-cultural, political, and economic identity, which is intended to be prominently represented on the large scale”, he said.
Expressing happiness, Achyuta Samanta, founder, KIIT, and KISS said: “It is a matter of pride for Odisha that such a mega artistic workshop has been organised at KIIT and KISS. Odisha is well known for its rich Art. It is a privilege for KIIT and KISS to join this event.”
