First Lady Artist of Odisha Smt Basant Kumari

A profile published in Yugabdha on 8 June 2025 marking Basanta Kumari Samanta's place in Odia cultural history as the first female student enrolled at the Government School of Art and Crafts, Khallikote, in 1957 — barely a decade after Independence, when women's public participation was severely restricted. She earned her diploma in Fine Art Oil Painting in 1961, becoming Odisha's first professional female painter. The piece catalogues her accolades, including the 'Water Colour Master' title from ONGC and IPCA and the 'Kala Gaurab' honour from the Ganjam District Press Club, and records her tribute to mentors Sarat Chandra Dev, Jita Charan Mohanty, Ajit Keshari Ray and Rabi Narayan Nayak. It closes with her call for art to be woven more firmly into school curricula and for stable employment and career pathways for young artists in Odisha today.