Similipal Sketches was conceived as an experiential art workshop at Barehipani within Similipal National Park, bringing together artists to engage closely with the region’s natural and cultural landscape as a biodiversity conservation art project in Odisha. Through direct interaction with the forest environment and local communities, the artists drew inspiration from indigenous knowledge systems, native scripts, and the unique presence of the melanistic tiger.
The workshop fostered a process of collaborative creation, resulting in a body of work that reflects the ecological richness of Similipal and the lived experiences of its communities. These artistic expressions serve as enduring representations of the region’s identity, bridging tradition, environment, and contemporary interpretation.
Acknowledgements
The initiative gratefully acknowledges the contributions of Adwaita Gadanayak (Padma Shri), Harshvardhan Sharma, Kalyan Barik, Kirti Chandak, Madhu Venugopalan, Manas Pati, Nivedita Mishra, Suresh K. Nair, Samarjeet Behera, Trupti Joshi, and Umesh Nayak for their valuable participation and support.
Shri Adwaita Gadanayak is one of India’s most accomplished contemporary sculptors, internationally recognized for his monumental public artworks and his contribution to the promotion of visual arts. Born in Dhenkanal, Odisha, he received formal training in sculpture at B.K. College of Art & Crafts, Bhubaneswar, and furthered his studies at the Slade School of Fine Art, London. His artistic practice seamlessly blends India’s rich sculptural traditions with a contemporary visual language, resulting in works of profound cultural and spiritual resonance.
Shri Gadanayak is the creator of several iconic national monuments, including the National Police Memorial in New Delhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March installation at Rajghat, and the grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at Kartavya Path. He served as Director General of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), where he led significant national and international cultural initiatives. A recipient of the Padma Shri, he has played a pivotal role in elevating India’s artistic presence on the global stage while inspiring generations of artists through his creative vision and leadership.
We invited Shri Adwaita Gadanayak to be part of Similipal Sketches because his presence at Barehipani carried a rare sense of oneness. The waterfall seemed to receive him not with arrogance but with harmony, as if stones and water themselves cherished the moment.
Harshvardhan Sharma is a distinguished contemporary Indian painter, educator, and art administrator whose contribution to visual arts spans several decades. A graduate of Visva-Bharati University, he has developed a distinctive artistic language characterized by vibrant colours, expressive forms, and a deep engagement with cultural narratives.
Widely recognized for his innovative approach to painting, Shri Sharma’s works have been exhibited across India and internationally, earning him acclaim as an artist of significant stature. He served as Dean and Head of the Department of Visual Arts at Central University of Himachal Pradesh, where he played a pivotal role in nurturing emerging artists and advancing art education. A senior artist of international repute, he has also contributed to national cultural initiatives and served in advisory roles within prominent art institutions.
We invited Shri Harshvardhan Sharma to be part of Similipal Sketches because he carried a quiet strength and gentle warmth that touched everyone in the gathering. His presence lingered like the air itself—subtle yet deeply felt—woven into our laughter, silences, and shared spirit of discovery.
Trupti Joshi is a contemporary visual artist based in India, holding a National Diploma in Fine Arts (Painting) from the Government Institute of Fine Arts, Indore. Her artistic practice explores identity, memory, and human experience through expressive and evocative visual narratives. Over a career spanning more than two decades, she has exhibited extensively across India through solo and group exhibitions at prominent venues including Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad, and Bikaner House, New Delhi.
Trupti is the recipient of the Highly Recommended International Award at the FINEXT Awards (2024) and the Excellence Award at the 81st All India Annual Exhibition by the Hyderabad Art Society (2022). She has also participated in numerous national and international art camps, residencies, and festivals. Her works are known for their emotional depth, sensitivity, and distinctive contemporary visual language.
We invited Trupti Joshi to be part of Similipal Sketches because her practice embodies care and continuity. Like the forest’s cycles, she nurtures connections that endure, weaving together people and place with patience and grace. Her presence affirms that art is also an act of tending.
Manas Ranjan Pati is a visual artist from Odisha and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) from Utkal University of Culture. His work is inspired by nature, tribal culture, and the rich artistic traditions of Odisha. Over the years, he has received several recognitions, including the National Level Art Contest Award (2020), the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi State-Level Art Competition Award (2020), and the 5th International Dhauli Art Festival Award (2022).
His solo exhibition, Odyssey, was held in Baripada and Khalikote, and he has participated in numerous exhibitions, workshops, and art camps across India and abroad.
We invited Manas Pati to be part of Similipal Sketches because his innocence and eagerness to listen reflect the forest’s own attentiveness to every bird, animal, and visitor. His openness affirms that art begins with humility and receptivity.
Kirti Chandok is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, educator, and cultural practitioner based in Puducherry. Born in Nashik, Maharashtra, she studied at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Kala Bhavana at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, and the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda. A recipient of the National Scholarship, French Government Scholarship, Junior Fellowship, and the prestigious Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, her artistic journey spans over three decades.
Her practice encompasses painting, paper pulp works, installations, murals, and community-based art projects, with exhibitions across India and internationally, including France, England, Vietnam, Korea, and Egypt. Kirti has held numerous solo and group exhibitions and actively promotes sustainable and socially engaged art practices. She is the Director of Tasmai – A Centre for Art & Culture and Managing Trustee of Shilpataru, fostering creative exchange, cultural dialogue, and environmental awareness through art.
We invited Kirti Chandok to be part of Similipal Sketches because her vision bridges tradition and contemporary thought, much like Similipal itself—ancient yet alive in the present. She brings a clarity that allows the forest’s wisdom to converse with modern sensibilities, opening pathways for dialogue and renewal.
Madhu Venugopalan is a contemporary visual artist from Kerala, born in Kochi in 1976. He earned his BFA in Painting from the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, and an MFA in Painting from RLV College of Fine Arts, Kerala. Known for his evocative explorations of memory, landscape, and human experience, his work has been exhibited extensively through solo and group exhibitions, biennales, art camps, and residencies in India and abroad.
A recipient of the prestigious Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (2023) and the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi State Award (2008), Madhu has participated in major platforms including the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh, and international exhibitions in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and the UAE. His works are part of museum and private collections across the world.
We invited Madhu V to be part of Similipal Sketches because he carries the stillness of a silent monk. His quiet presence will be remembered not only by villagers, but by trees, air, and animals alike, as if the landscape itself holds his imprint.
Kalyan Kumar Barik is an Odisha-based visual artist with a Bachelor of Visual Arts from BK College of Art & Craft, Bhubaneswar, and a Master of Fine Arts from Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar. Over the past two decades, he has actively participated in numerous state, regional, national, and international exhibitions, including the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi State Art Exhibition, Eastern Region Art Exhibitions, and international shows in New Delhi.
Kalyan’s artistic journey includes solo exhibitions at RLKK Art Gallery, Bhubaneswar, and Triveni Art Gallery, New Delhi, as well as several prestigious group exhibitions. Kalyan has also participated in painting camps, seminars, and installation art projects organized by Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi, HOLE Foundation, and other cultural institutions. His works are part of notable collections, including those of Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi, BK College of Art & Craft, Orissa Modern Art Gallery, Akriti Art Gallery, Kolkata, and several prominent galleries in New Delhi.
We invited Kalyan Barik to be part of Similipal Sketches because his artistry leaves an imprint wherever he goes. The places he touches seem to carry his creative energy forward, holding traces of his vision long after the moment has passed.
Nivedita Mishra is an acclaimed sculptor whose practice spans public art, monumental sculpture, and contemporary visual expression. She studied Sculpture at the Delhi College of Art (1986–1990) and later served as an Honorary Research Assistant at the Slade School of Fine Art, London (1993–1995). Over the years, she has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, symposiums, and workshops.
Her notable public art projects include the National Police Martyrs Memorial, New Delhi (2018), as well as landmark installations such as Meditation in London, Five Elements in New Delhi, and 12 Verses of the Gita in Mumbai. A recipient of the Junior Fellowship, Garhi Fellowship, Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi Award, and Nari Shakti Award, she continues to contribute to art education and public sculpture while living and working in India.
We invited Nivedita Mishra to be part of Similipal Sketches, our experiential art workshop in Similipal, because her sensitivity to textures and voices of the forest resonates with its layered silences. She carries an attentiveness that transforms listening into art, reminding us that creativity often begins in the unseen and unheard.
Suresh K. Nair is an Indian muralist, visual artist, curator, and educator from Kerala, known for his significant contributions to public art, mural painting, and interdisciplinary art practices. He studied at the Institute of Mural Painting, Guruvayur, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, Visva-Bharati University, and the Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA. His works have been exhibited across India and internationally, with research and exhibition engagements in the UAE, UK, USA, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Portugal.
Nair is a recipient of several prestigious honours, including the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award, the Elizabeth Greenshields Scholarship, the Fulbright Fellowship, Earth Day Network Awards, and the BeFantastic Fellowship. He is widely recognised for large-scale murals, music-based drawing performances, and projects addressing environmental conservation, plastic pollution, migration, and peace. An active curator and cultural advocate, he has organised numerous exhibitions, art camps, and community art initiatives. He currently teaches Painting at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
We invited Suresh Nair to be part of Similipal Sketches because his artistry carries the discipline of line and the generosity of spirit. His presence reflects the forest’s balance—precise yet expansive—reminding us that creativity thrives where rigour meets openness.
Samarjeet Behera is a contemporary visual artist whose practice explores conceptual and minimalist approaches to signs, symbols, and visual language. Working across painting, sculpture, installation, and mixed media, he investigates how meaning is constructed and communicated through simplified forms and carefully considered compositions. His research-driven practice draws from linguistic systems, symbolic histories, and the relationship between form, space, and interpretation.
Behera holds an MFA from the University of Hyderabad (2013) and has participated in numerous exhibitions, workshops, and public art initiatives across India. Notable engagements include the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2012), The Creative India Public Art Intensive (2013), the Inlaks Foundation-supported project Insert (2014), an artist residency with Utsha Foundation (2015), and the Bhubaneswar Art Trail (2018). He lives and works in Odisha, continuing to explore the intersection of language, symbolism, and contemporary visual expression.
We invited Samarjeet Behera to be part of Similipal Sketches because he embodies both the learner and the giver—flowing like the rivers of Similipal, cleansing and connecting. Villagers embraced him not as a visitor but as one of their own.
Umesh Chandra Nayak is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, curator, and documentary filmmaker from Odisha. He holds a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University and currently serves as Associate Professor of Visual Art at Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar. A recipient of several prestigious honours, including the HRD Scholarship, AIFACS Award for Sculpture, and National Art Exhibition awards, he has made significant contributions to visual arts education and research.
Umesh has published extensively on sculpture, tribal arts, cultural heritage, and aesthetics, while also editing and contributing to numerous academic publications. He has held seven solo exhibitions and participated in over 25 national and international exhibitions and art camps. As a curator and cultural organiser, he has led initiatives such as Gramakala, Utkalgarh International Festival, and POSTHUMAN, fostering dialogue between art, culture, ecology, and community engagement.
We invited Umesh Nayak to be part of Similipal Sketches, our experiential art workshop in Similipal, because he listens to the forest’s sounds and responds with gestures of intimacy and respect. His presence embodies attunement, reminding us that art begins with listening and with care for the living world.
