Bhubaneswar: Some people speak with words, while others weave stories with their brush and colours. Odisha’s Manas Kumar Das is one such artist whose canvases come alive with colours, imagination and emotions. His paintings are not just a play of colours, but speak deeply about life, society, struggle and hope. The special thing is that there are no words in Manas’ world, only silence, but this silence enhances his art further.
President will honour:
Despite being unable to hear and speak, Manas has made this silence his biggest strength. His paintings not only win the hearts of the viewers, but also surprise art lovers, critics and fans. In the first week of August, his painting ‘A Call for Progress’ was selected among the best paintings of the country at the 64th National Art Exhibition of Lalit Kala Academy in Delhi. On September 4, Manas will receive a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a certificate of honour from President Draupadi Murmu.
Art takes flight from challenges:
Born in 1988 in Hatibandha village of Keonjhar district to Chintamani and Malti Das, Manas faced hearing and speech challenges. After losing his mother at the age of five, Manas, the youngest of five siblings, did not have an easy childhood. It was difficult for him to communicate with teachers and friends in school. But he completed his studies through written notes. He passed matriculation through correspondence in 2005 and 10+2 from Odisha Higher Secondary Education Council in 2012.
In 2012, while studying BVA at Balasore College of Art and Craft, he met Guru Tarakant Parida. Parida says, “The first time I saw Manas painting, I felt that this boy was different. There was something special in his art. I did not want him to be confined to a small town after his studies. I brought him to Bhubaneswar so that he could further hone his art and complete his masters.” In 2015, Manas completed his MVA from Utkal University of Culture and M.Phil in 2016.
A world of colours:
Manas has made more than 500 paintings, which have been appreciated in exhibitions from Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad to Bhutan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. He has received more than 15 state, national and international awards. His art presents social messages with creativity on topics like pollution, Gandhi’s thoughts, or epidemic. Parida says, “Manas paints from the heart. He does not just copy the reality, but narrates it in his own way, which forces us to think.”
Art since childhood:
Manas’s elder brother Himanshu Shekhar Das says that Manas was naughty in childhood. “But as soon as he was given paint and brush, he would paint quietly for hours. It was his own world.” Inspiration for children:
Today Manas is an art teacher at St. Mary’s School in Barbil, Keonjhar, where he teaches creativity to children. His colleague Kshetramohan Patra says, “It is rare to see someone who reads life like Manas. Human emotions emerge so truthfully in his paintings that children connect with them easily.” Manas is not only a painter, but also a sculptor, whose sculptures have been honored in Dubai. Talent makes the way:
Receiving the award from the President is not just an achievement for Manas, but a proof of his hard work and courage. Parida says, “Talent makes its own way. Manas has proved that even silence can create the loudest echo.” Manas smiles with the gestures of his fingers and eyes, as if telling the world that words are not needed for true expression.
