“I Wasn’t Awarded, My Work Was” Padma Vibhushan Sudarshan Sahoo

“I Wasn’t Awarded, My Work Was” Padma Vibhushan Sudarshan Sahoo

Stone sculpting is an integral part of Odisha’s cultural and art fabric and its evidence can be seen all across the state. Sudarshan Sahoo is a well known name in the world of stone art. The 83 year old sculptor was awarded Padma Vibhushan on the occasion of India’s 72nd Republic Day. He is known for his stone craft all around the world. Even today he often travels to Japan, USA and many other countries for his art.  He runs a training and creative centre for traditional sculptors of stone, wood and fibreglass here in Bhubaneswar. At the age of forty two, he bagged the National Award and received the Padma Shri at forty eight. 

He empathises for other fellow artists who are lost in the crowd as the art requires a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance for which each and every artist deserves recognition. He feels that If the artists of Odisha can get some help from the government for the loss they had faced during Fani and other catastrophes, then we can see many artists flourish again. “In that case Odisha will win many more Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna artists,” he said. 

When asked about his source of inspiration, he said, “Being brought up in a town like Puri is an inspiration in itself. The first time I wondered about the temples of my city, it instigated me to try my hands at it. At first I attempted to build small temples out of stone and showed them to my mother and brother. They liked it so I endeavoured to carve more stones. That helped me reach where I am today.” 

He promises to contribute to the art as much as he can until he is able to. Also, he is always ready to do his best to keep the art of sculpting alive. “A sculptor never generally creates art for himself but for people and for the upcoming generations. It is always motivating to see more spectators and more artists,” said Sahoo. 

On being asked about how do you think more artists can get recognised, he said, “I had never dwelled on any of the awards. The purpose of my life is to create art and continue making it forever. That is my piece of advice for all budding artists. The moment you work without thinking about the outcome is the moment when you attain liberty.”

Talking about what makes him happy, he said, “Many of my students have won various National Awards, State Awards and various medals in and around the country. I feel content to see my students excel. That gives me the confidence and affirms that art is eternal. The recognitions that the Government of India has offered me will definitely motivate many other artists.”

“I was a nobody, I am a nobody and shall remain one. But my art is something that people will recognize forever. You see the number of people who have come to visit my craft village is because they search for the best stone carving work in Bhubaneswar. But have you ever seen anybody searching for Sudardshan Sahoo’s crafts? That clearly tells us what people look for. I am thankful that I get a decent number of people to visit me every day,” he added humbly.