Art News India

A magazine covering art, culture, and events.

Subhendu Mishra explore the fading folk art of Odisha

A man standing in front of a colorful artwork depicting a traditional Indian mask and intricate illustrations.

Subhendu Mishra with his painting.

Subhendu Mishra’s art captures the fading traces of Odisha’s rich folk culture—an inheritance gradually overshadowed by the pace of modern life. Traditions once deeply embedded in daily living now survive mostly through rituals and scattered practices. Art forms such as Pattachitra and mural painting, which once flourished, are today slipping into memory.

Through his work, Mishra reinterprets these traditions in a contemporary language. He transforms the essence of wall paintings into canvas compositions and breathes new life into mask-making traditions by incorporating them into his paintings. His approach is both archival and innovative—preserving while reimagining.

His solo exhibition Lupta, which opened on 30 April 2026 at LTC Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi, reflects this exploration. The show was inaugurated by senior artist Ashok Bhowmick, with artists Asit K. Pattnaik, Kumar Vikas Saxena, and Bipin Bihari Martha present as guests of honour.

Mishra’s works are striking—layered with faded echoes of folk imagery alongside vividly rendered masks inspired by traditional papier-mâché forms. His use of vibrant colours and rhythmic figures lends the paintings a sense of movement and elegance, creating a bridge between past and present. Presented here are glimpses from the exhibition.

Five men posing in front of colorful traditional art featuring masks on a beige wall. The setting appears to be an art gallery.

Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj, Praveen Mahto, Asit Kumar Pattanaik, Rajendra Prasad Singh and other guest.

Three men pose together in an art gallery, with a colorful painting of Ganesh visible in the background.

Ashok Bhowmich, Subhendu Mishra and Asit Kumar Pattnaik

Three men pose for a photo in front of a colorful wall painting featuring traditional Indian art and vibrant masks.

Uday Shankar, Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj and Sajal Patra

A group of five men standing together in an art gallery, each wearing distinct, stylish clothing. They are smiling and posing for the photo against a light-colored wall.

Kumar Vikas Saxena, Asit K Pattnaik, Kenha and Sheetal Verma.

Two individuals stand in front of a large artwork featuring colorful traditional masks on a golden background.

Moham. Naseem Khan and Rajendra prasad singh

A decorative wall-mounted frame containing colorful traditional masks, separated by wooden bars.
An art gallery with two paintings on white walls; the left features vibrant figures from a narrative scene, and the right showcases a traditional mask in front of a colorful background.
A gallery interior featuring two large paintings of traditional masks on white walls, one with a red and yellow mask, and another with a green mask against a textured background.
A vibrant artwork featuring a stylized mask of Lord Ganesha, intricately designed with orange and blue tones, mounted against a textured background with faint depictions of other deities.

Text by Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj

Photography by Praveen Mahto

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