Bhubaneswar Artist Satyabhama Majhi Connects Contemporary Art with Culture, Community and Ecology

Bhubaneswar, September 8, 2026: Bhubaneswar-based contemporary artist Satyabhama Majhi has spent more than two decades exploring ways to take art beyond conventional gallery spaces and connect it with communities, cultural memory, local landscapes and everyday life.

An Indian contemporary visual artist, curator, social activist and community art practitioner, Majhi works across painting, sculpture, installation, photography, mixed media and public art. Her practice focuses on connections between contemporary expression and cultural memory, people and place, and ecology and everyday life.

From a Father's Shop to the City as Canvas

Majhi grew up in Bhubaneswar and recalls observing everyday life around her father's shop in a local market. The buying and selling, seasonal festivals, neighbourhood interactions and surroundings became an early influence on her artistic outlook.

As Bhubaneswar developed into a growing capital city, she began documenting aspects of the changing urban landscape. Her works often bring together vendors, pedestrians, workers, plants and architecture to explore the memory and transformation of the city.

She holds a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Traditional Art, while her subsequent artistic practice has expanded across several mediums and themes.

Engagement with the Dongaria Kondh Community and Niyamgiri

An important part of Majhi's artistic journey has been her long-term engagement with the Dongaria Kondh community and the Niyamgiri hills.

Through this engagement, she has explored local livelihoods, cultural traditions, spirituality, the legend of Niyam Raja and indigenous visual expressions. The experience also influenced her use of natural materials and colours.

Majhi has experimented with natural pigments including chalk stone, charcoal, turmeric, geru soil and brown stone. These materials have become part of her exploration of the relationship between landscape, memory and art.

Two recurring elements in her work are the triangle, which she associates with the form of the Niyamgiri hills and ideas of stability and sacred geography, and “Up and Down”, inspired by the daily journeys of people travelling through the hilly terrain.

Public Art and Community Spaces

Public art forms an important part of Majhi's practice. Her murals and public-art interventions have been created in locations including Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, as well as for events such as the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup and Asian Athletics Championships.

Projects including Pago and Thought Loom have used public spaces as platforms for artistic and community engagement.

In 2023, Majhi served as Co-Sutradhar and creative contributor to “People's Wall – Jan, Janani and Janmabhumi” for the New Parliament House in New Delhi. The participatory project was created through the Lalit Kala Akademi and involved women artists and artisans from different parts of India.

Working with Children Through Art

For around 15 years, Majhi has also worked with children through initiatives such as Kalpanadham and organisations including Gram Vikas and Tata Trusts. Her work has included engagement with residential schools and children with disabilities.

Her approach encourages children to draw and express elements from their own surroundings, including their homes, trees and festivals, allowing personal experiences and memories to become part of the creative process.

Recognition and Current Exhibition

Majhi's artistic journey has included participation and work associated with institutions and art platforms such as Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, Nature Morte, Gurgaon, Bhubaneswar Art Trail and Vancouver Biennale-linked projects.

She is a recipient of the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi State Award (2012) and the National Lalit Kala Akademi Scholarship (2009–10). As Secretary of the Sasatwa Foundation, she is also involved in initiatives connecting art and social engagement.

Her ongoing solo exhibition, “Land as Memory, Matter as Landscape”, at artCENTRIX Space Gallery, brings together themes of soil, memory, landscape and belonging that have featured in her artistic practice.

Through her work across galleries, public spaces and communities, Majhi continues to explore how art can engage with cultural memory, ecology and the everyday experiences of people and places.