A Landmark Homecoming: EO Odisha Celebrates the Successful Inauguration of Jagannath Panda’s “The Long Now of Us”

BHUBANESWAR (Odisha Tazanews) BBSR :-  Following a distinguished gathering of cultural leaders, state dignitaries, and industry pioneers, EO Odisha is pleased to announce the successful inauguration of The Long Now of Us, a landmark solo exhibition of recent works by internationally acclaimed artist Jagannath Panda.Curated by Sibdas Sengupta, the exhibition opened at Lalit Kala Akademi, Regional Centre, Bhubaneswar, to strong public engagement and critical appreciation.

Presented by Entrepreneurs’ Organization Odisha, the exhibition marks Panda’s first major solo presentation in his hometown, bringing together an expansive body of mixed-media paintings, sculptures, installations, drawings, and digital works that trace the evolution of his artistic language over three decades.

The inaugural evening was headlined by Chief Guest Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha, who officially opened the exhibition with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. The event marked a significant cultural moment for the state’s artistic landscape.

Master of Ceremonies Prof. (Dr.) Pradosh Mishra led the formal proceedings, which included a guided walkthrough for VIP guests. During this tour, curator Sibdas Sengupta contextualized Panda’s evolution from narrative figuration to a sophisticated, material-dense symbolic abstraction, highlighting the 16-foot archival chariot as a focal point of the show.

In his keynote address, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo commended the initiative for bridging the gap between Odisha’s traditional roots and the global contemporary art discourse. The evening also featured the official launch of the scholarly book Rupakathara Rupakara: Jagannath Pandankara Jibana, Darshana abang Srujana, authored by Ramakanta Samantaray, documenting the artist’s life and philosophical journey.

The Long Now of Us is conceived through an engagement with Jagannath Panda’s central methodological approach — the act of collaging — which shapes both the visual and conceptual framework of his practice. Bringing together paintings, sculptures, installations, drawings, and digital elements, the exhibition traces his evolution from narrative-driven imagery to layered symbolic abstraction.

Here, collage functions not merely as a formal device but as a critical strategy for de-contextualizing materiality and assembling dense visual fields that address ecological fragility, cultural displacement, myth-making, and the politics of memory.

Drawing deeply from Odisha’s architectural and ritual landscape, the works incorporate fragments of temple iconography, vernacular ornamentation, urban textures, and gestures inspired by indigenous dance traditions, transforming them into reassembled symbolic forms that evoke temporal layering — where memory,

longing, rupture, and reconstruction coexist. Presented together in Bhubaneswar for the first time, these recent bodies of work offer local audiences an unprecedented encounter with the latest developments in Panda’s evolving practice.

Presented by Entrepreneurs’ Organization Odisha, the exhibition serves as a critical cultural intervention in the region. The EO Odisha Chapter has around 100 Primary Members along with Spousal / Life Partner Members in total, representing a dynamic collective of entrepreneurs committed to intellectual, cultural, and cross-disciplinary growth within the state.

“By bringing this body of work to Bhubaneswar, we are fostering a new pedagogical infrastructure,” noted Kamal Agarwal, Forum Chair & Board Member, EO Odisha Chapter. “This exhibition proves that Odisha is not just a site of heritage, but a vibrant center for contemporary knowledge production.”

Reflecting on the significance of the exhibition, Jagannath Panda shared, “Coming back to Bhubaneswar with this body of work feels like a cyclical return. The ‘long now’ is a space where history, memory, and the present coexist. Many of the forms in this exhibition emerge from landscapes and lived experiences that shaped my early life. To share this work here carries deep personal and artistic meaning.”

Curator Sibdas Sengupta added, “The Long Now of Us is not simply a presentation of works but an inquiry into time itself — into how repetition, rupture, and reconstruction shape both artistic language and lived reality. Bringing these works to Bhubaneswar allows the city to re-engage with an artist whose visual vocabulary was first shaped here, even as it evolved within global contexts.”