Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom in Bhubaneswar
An Exhibition of Drawings, Paintings and Photographs inspired by Odissi Dance
06-10 March 2026
Lalit Kala Akademi, Regional Centre Gallery, Bhubaneswar
“Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom,” an exhibition of drawings, paintings, and photographs inspired by Odissi dance, is being held from 6th to 10th March 2026 at the Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre Gallery, Kharavela Nagar, Bhubaneswar.
The exhibition is jointly organised by Ketaki Foundation Trust (Bhubaneswar) in collaboration with Sutra Foundation (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and brings together 21 accomplished artists and photographers from Bhubaneswar, Chennai, and Kuala Lumpur. The show celebrates the aesthetic richness of Odissi through visual interpretations by contemporary artists.
The exhibition is designed as a peripatetic cultural celebration across five cities — Chennai, Pune, Bhubaneswar, New Delhi, and Kuala Lumpur — creating an international dialogue between Indian and Malaysian artists. Through paintings, drawings, and photography, artists explore the grace and expressive vocabulary of Odissi, making the classical dance form a powerful source of visual creativity.
Internationally acclaimed Odissi dancer and Creative Director of Sutra Foundation Ramli Ibrahim describes the initiative as an effort to “bridge the gap between the performing arts and visual artistry.” The exhibition also serves as a tribute to the renowned art historian and cultural thinker Dinanath Pathy, whose influential publication Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom (2001) on the evolution of contemporary art in Odisha inspired the title of the exhibition.
The participating artists have drawn inspiration not only from Odissi but also from related traditional art forms of Odisha such as Sakhinata, Gotipua, Pattachitra, and Palm-leaf engraving, bringing diverse interpretations to the gallery space.
The 21 participating artists and photographers are carefully drawn from Bhubaneswar, Chennai and Kuala Lumpur by the able curators from all three locations, like; Ramahari Jena, Shalini Biswajit and Sivarajah Natarajan respectively.
According to Ramahari Jena, the Bhubaneswar curator and senior visual artist, the exhibition continues the artistic dialogue initiated earlier through “Stirring Odissi,” a landmark exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur in 2008 to commemorate 50 years of India–Malaysia relations.
The exhibition was inaugurated with a ceremonial lamp lighting by Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, Member of Parliament, in the presence of several eminent personalities from the fields of art, literature, and culture, including noted artist Jatin Das, writer Jatin Naik, poet Debadas Chhotray, and celebrated sculptor Aditya Gadanayak, among others.
Welcoming the guests and audience, Ramahari Jena highlighted the collaborative spirit of the exhibition. In his address, Ramli Ibrahim reflected on his long artistic journey connecting the cultures of Odisha and Malaysia, which began with the guidance of Dr. Dinanath Pathy and has continued through collaborations with many distinguished artists from Odisha.
A major highlight of the inaugural evening was a live Odissi dance presentation of “Sakhi Nata” performed by Odissi Guru Gajendra Kumar Panda and the dancers of Tridhara, who performed within the gallery space, blending performing and visual arts.
The event also featured a special preview screening of the documentary film “Radha Unbound: The Making & Touring of Radhe! Radhe!”, which chronicles the journey of Sutra Foundation’s Odissi production and its cultural connections with Odisha.
Speaking about the initiative, Jyoti Ranjan Swain, Managing Trustee of Ketaki Foundation Trust, noted that the organisation remains committed to preserving and promoting the heritage, artistic traditions, and literary legacy of Odisha. The international exhibition across multiple cities reflects this ongoing commitment.
The exhibition invites art lovers, scholars, and cultural enthusiasts to experience the vibrant dialogue between Odissi dance and contemporary visual art.
The event was inaugurated by the lighting of the lamp by Member of Parliament Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, eminent artist Jatin Das, writer Jatin Naik, poet Debadas Chhotray, celebrated artists Aditya Gadanayak, Jagannath Panda amongst many others.
Ramahari Jena, trustee, Ketaki Foundation and curator of this exhibition welcomed the guests and the audience.
Ramli Ibrahim reflected on his long artistic journey connecting the cultures of Odisha and Malaysia, which began with the guidance of Dr. Dinanath Pathy.
Released of Exhibition catalogue by eminent guests and dignitaries in presence of trustees of Ketaki Foundation Trust.
Odissi Guru Gajendra Panda and his troupe presented an engrossing presentation of ‘Sakhi Nata’ on performance in the gallery.
An engaging cultural evening unfolded as audiences gathered for a special preview screening of the documentary film “Radha Unbound: The Making & Touring of Radhe! Radhe!”.