Gitanjali Das is a traditional Oriya Pattachitra artist who painted for over two decades alongside her husband, Pranab Narayan Das. They both learnt the traditional themes and techniques of Pattachitra art from a nationally recognised master artist and recipient of the National Award, Arjun Maharana. Sadly, Pranab passed away before his time during the height of the Covid pandemic in 2021, leaving his young wife and two children bereft. A fine artist, Pranab received several awards and accolades for his work that brought Pattachitra to the attention of art lovers by refreshing traditional compositions with new formats and a broader colour palette.

 

Gitanjali has now taken sole charge of their art practice and is working to keep the heritage of this fine art form alive. I am very happy to be working with her to support her, and her young children, overcome the loss of Pranab.