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From Bhubaneswar’s bustling markets to the sacred slopes of Niyamgiri, Satyabhama Majhi’s multidisciplinary art practice connects culture, ecology, memory and community.
Bhubaneswar, Sept 8, 2026: Satyabhama Majhi is a visual artist, curator, social activist, community practitioner and storyteller of place based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Over two decades, she has developed a multidisciplinary practice spanning painting, sculpture, installation, photography, mixed media, public murals and community engagement.
Her work brings together contemporary artistic expression with cultural memory, indigenous knowledge, ecology and everyday experiences.
From Bhubaneswar’s Markets to the Canvas
Majhi’s artistic journey began in an unexpected setting — her father’s market shop in Bhubaneswar. As a child, she observed vendors, customers, festivals, children, animals and the changing character of the city.
As Bhubaneswar expanded and older neighbourhoods began disappearing under new construction, she started documenting not only what she saw but also what was being lost. Her paintings evolved into vibrant social landscapes where people, buildings, plants and animals coexist.
Majhi holds a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Traditional Art, but her artistic practice has expanded far beyond conventional studio painting.
A Long-Standing Connection with Niyamgiri
One of the most influential chapters of Majhi’s career has been her engagement of more than 12 years with the Dongaria Kondh community in the Niyamgiri hills.
Rather than approaching the community simply as a subject, Majhi travelled, observed and listened, developing an understanding of their livelihoods, cultural practices, spiritual connection with Niyam Raja and relationship with the forest.
This experience also transformed the materials she used. Inspired by indigenous wall-painting traditions, she began creating natural colours using chalk stone, charcoal, turmeric, geru (red ochre) and brown stone from Niyamgiri, combined with natural binders.
For Majhi, the landscape itself became part of the artistic process.
The Triangle and “Up and Down”
Two recurring ideas have emerged from this long engagement with Niyamgiri.
The Triangle draws inspiration from Dongaria visual culture and the shape of the Niyamgiri hills. In her work, it represents ideas of stability, sacred geography and divinity.
“Up and Down” comes from the everyday movement of people climbing the hills for water, markets and rituals. Majhi transforms this physical journey into a broader metaphor for movement, struggle and resilience.
Bringing Art Beyond the Gallery
Majhi believes art should be accessible to people rather than remaining confined to galleries. Her public art projects include large-scale murals on Ring Road and Dagabara Sahi in Cuttack, as well as works connected with the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup and Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.
Her community initiatives, including Pago_ and _Thought Loom, have also transformed public spaces into platforms for storytelling and collective expression.
In 2023, Majhi served as Co-Sutradhar and creative contributor to “People’s Wall – Jan, Janani and Janmabhumi,” a participatory installation commissioned by the Lalit Kala Akademi for the New Parliament House in New Delhi. The project brought together women artists and artisans from different parts of India.
Art as Education and Community Practice
Alongside her own artistic practice, Majhi has spent around 15 years working as an art educator, particularly with children, tribal residential schools and underserved communities.
Through initiatives such as Kalpanadham, and collaborations with Gram Vikas and Tata Trusts, she has conducted workshops involving children with disabilities, village learning centres and community programmes.
Her teaching philosophy can be summed up in the words “Don’t copy, remember.” She encourages children to draw inspiration from their own surroundings — their homes, trees, festivals, villages and everyday experiences.
As Secretary of the Sasatwa Foundation, she also connects artistic practice with community development and ecological awareness.
Exhibitions, Awards and Recognition
Majhi’s work has been exhibited and created across several recognised art platforms, including Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal; Nature Morte, Gurgaon; Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi; Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi; Bhubaneswar Art Trail; Gram Art Project; and Vancouver Biennale-linked projects.
Her recognitions include the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi State Award in 2012 and the National Lalit Kala Akademi Scholarship for 2009–2010.
“Land as Memory, Matter as Landscape”
Her current group exhibition, “Land as Memory, Matter as Landscape” at artCENTRIX Space Gallery, brings together many of the ideas that have shaped her artistic journey.
The exhibition explores land not simply as geography, but as memory, while materials such as soil, stone and natural pigments become carriers of stories and experiences.
At a time when art can often feel disconnected from everyday life, Satyabhama Majhi’s practice stands out for its rootedness in place. Her work demonstrates how contemporary art can exist beyond traditional gallery spaces — in schools, public walls, communities, forests and landscapes.
By connecting tradition and modernity, people and place, and material with memory, Satyabhama Majhi offers a distinctive perspective on contemporary Odisha art.
