Bangalore: Who says that “merit” belongs only to the brahminical social order? Even an Untouchable can rise to international heights and surpass a bom Brahmin if opportunities are avaliable. Hore is a real life story to disprove the ‘marit theory”.
An Indian Dalit artist, P.K. Mahanandia from Athamalik, the tribal jungles of Orissa, is making waves in Sweden.
He is a wonderfully friendly and open persona single great smiling brown, face with teeth like white exclamation marks of joy and eyes with the gleam of mild terms. His deep interest in people is also a great asset for him as an artist he draws and pairits portraits with a painstakingly realistic technique, always with the rare ability to capture something unique in the face he has before him. He has already had creditable successes at exhibitions in Boras and Goteborg, Sweden.
PK (which is an abbreviation of Pradyumna Kumar, names which PK believes Swedes have difficulties in pronouncing) is Mahanandia’s psuedonym as an artist. It can be said that he is a born artist, otherwise he would not be in northern Europe, far from the deep jungle in southeastern India where he grew up and where he was destined to remain had he not possessed his gift.
Talents from mother: PK has inherited his talents from his mother. At an annual ceremony it is common to draw patterns and mystical images on the mud walls of the huts in his jungle villages, and his mother was one of those who administrated this artistic Tradition Already as a child PK often drew in the sand and painted on stone slabs. While the tradition of the village only prescribed white when painting, the little boy’s eyes longed for colour, and he made use of soft stones at various colors or of pulverized stones for his paintings. In school, the teachers discovered his ability to make drawings and portraits better and more quickly than any other. So he was the first from his village to be given the opportunity for continued studies. In 1971, at 20, he was sent to Delhi University on a stipendium to study art and art history. In 1976, he completed his degree and since then has supported himself as an artist.
Mahanandia does his sketches in 10 to 12 minutes. One of this now celebrity most well known models was the female cosmonaut Valentia Tereschkova. Naturally PK has also drawn portraits of famous men, for example the Indian President F.A. Ahmed, but it is portraits of women which predominate in his works.
Love with Lotta: But when one day PK set the lines of Swedish girl on paper all other celebrites faded out. It was love at first sight and at first stroke of the pen. PK proposed after a 3-week long acquaintance, married a Swedish bride before the village chiel, and then had to work for several months in order to save up for a ticket to travel around hall the globe in order to be reunited with his beloved. It is a truly gripping love-story. This gifted Indian is now with his Lotta in Sweden, whera he has made history.
Mahanandia, came to Delhi with an excursion group and became a student of Delhi College of Art PK
oven remembers days when he had to go without food for a day or two. Inspired by his mother. PK was longing to become an artist, and is now very happy as he earns quite a good amount through his portraits. PK’s art has an amazing combination of creativity and longevity to attract a crowd who look long and intently at his paintings
UN Honour: Painter, Administrator and Head of Department of Recreation, Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia was born in Athmalik, Indiit, on Dec 25 1951. He married Ann-Charlotte von Schedvin in 1979 and they have one daughter, Emelie. He studied the Swedish language with the Swedish National Board of Education in 1978 and went on to take a special course in Swedish History and Society in 1979. Between 1980 and 1982 PK was employed as a Trainee Administrator and Leader of Department of Recreation by the Government of Sweden at the People’s College, Mullajo, Sweden. This post included work at the UN Offices, Stockhoim, and the Swedish international Development Authority. Since 1963 he has taught painting in different colleges and Institutions in Sweden
One of his drawings was honoured by the United Nations Association of Sweden, Boras, by being used as a greeting card. PK lists his hobbies and interests as painting, writing, yoga, travelling, helping poor people, cultural exchange, international understanding, woning for peace, organising exhibitions on indian Art in Europe and awarding scholarships every year to needy students of Art and Music in India.
PK is a distinguished member of the growing familly of Dallt Voice worldwide
