Veejayant Kumar Dash is an artist‑curator, educator, and visual storyteller based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, currently involved as Creative Director and Curator of The Similipal Initiative by MGM Foundation. A graduate in Fine Arts (Painting) from B.K. College of Art & Crafts, his practice engages contemporary art, cultural memory, disability inclusion, and community‑rooted performance. He was nominated to the Advisory Committee of the National Gallery of Modern Art (2019–2022) and has contributed to national initiatives such as Kala Kumbh and Swachhagrah by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Culture.
His curatorial projects include Counting the Uncounted – The Missing Number, Similipal Sketches, The Similipal Initiative (2024–ongoing), Kalasrota (2022), SWAYAM (2020), and the acclaimed 0674, hello Bhubaneswar series (2018–2019). He has curated exhibitions on Gandhi’s legacy, Odishan history, and water rights, and conceptualized children’s picture books distributed in state schools. His painting Conversation Through Layers was acquired by the National Art Museum of China in 2019.
Dash’s performance art draws upon local traditions and public participation, with works such as Paka Kambala Pott Chhata (2018) and JAL JATRA (2014). He has spoken internationally at SFMOMA’s Visual Activism Symposium (2014) and participated in the Asian Art Biennale (2008). In 2026, he presented at Tribes Art Fest in New Delhi and spoke at MSCB University, Baripada, on community arts as catalysts for biodiversity conservation.
Ashis Dhir is a wildlife photographer and documentary filmmaker whose artistic vision is rooted in the belief that photography and film can inspire awareness and change. With over two decades of professional experience, he began his career as a news cameraman with ZEE News and CNN‑IBN7 in Delhi before transitioning to pursue his lifelong passion for conservation, heritage, and tribal culture. His wildlife photography captures rare moments in nature, underscoring the urgency of biodiversity protection, while his tribal photography documents indigenous lives and traditions with dignity and authenticity.
Dhir is credited with 19 wildlife films and coffee table books for the Odisha Wildlife Division and collaborated on publications for the governments of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. His work has supported organizations such as UNICEF, CARE India, UNDP, and PRADAN. Recognized with awards including the Lalit Kala Akademi State Photography Award (1994) and the ACCU Asia‑Pacific Photo Contest Prize for Excellence (2001), he continues to travel extensively, using his lens as a medium for ecological activism and cultural empathy.
Anjana Marndi, born on 19 January 2004, hails from Kusumi, Badampahar, Mayurbhanj, Odisha. She belongs to the Santal community and is fluent in Santali, Odia, Hindi, and English. She completed her undergraduate studies in Science at Jashipur Degree College in 2024 and has also completed PGDCA and OS‑CIT to strengthen her technical skills.
She is presently working as the Field Coordinator of The Similipal Initiative, contributing as a dedicated member by bringing in new ideas and exploring many facets of Similipal and nearby regions with tribal communities, their art, craft, and local wisdom. Her work emphasizes learning from indigenous traditions while documenting the rich flora and fauna of the forest, fostering conservation awareness and community participation. Currently, she is pursuing her Master’s degree in Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation at Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo University, Baripada. She has been acknowledged by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, in New Delhi for her artistic skills on the wildlife of Similipal.
Alka Priyadarshinee is a visual artist and photographer based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. I completed my Bachelor of Visual Arts (2017–21) from B. K. College of Art and Crafts,
Bhubaneswar, and Master of Visual Arts (2021–23) from Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar.
My practice is deeply rooted in exploring the layered narratives embedded in the everyday lives of people in Odisha. Using photography as my primary medium, I engages with documentation, archiving, and visual storytelling to capture fleeting moments, cultural memory, and lived histories. My work operates at the intersection of creative exploration and experimental practice, positioning photography as both an artistic and research-driven. As a visual narrator, my intent is to preserve and share disappearing cultural elements drawn from individual and collective experiences. Through my lens, I seeks to create visual records that allow future generations to glimpse traditions, crafts, and ways of life that are gradually vanishing in the face of modernization.
I had participated in several group exhibitions and has received notable recognitions, including the Memorial Award for Excellence in Performance from B. K. College of Art and Crafts (2021). Selected as a Research Scholar (2023–24) at Lalit Kala Akademi, Regional Centre, Bhubaneswar. In addition to my independent practice, I worked as a visual researcher and photodocumenter for the Similipal Social Art Initiative, a community-based project funded by the MGM Foundation (2024–25).
