The 21st Ramchandra Deshmukh Bahumat Samman, the prestigious award instituted in commemoration of Late Dau Ramchandra Deshmukh, the doyen of Chhattisgarhi folk stage art, would be conferred to visual art exponent Basant Sahu. The selection committee has selected the artist Sahu, a resident of Sarojini Chowk, village Kurud, keeping in mind the unique visual art creations of Basant Sahu despite his disability.

 

This decision has been taken on the basis of the recommendation of the members of the Judging Committee constituted under the chairmanship of eminent theatre artist and folk art expert Rajesh Ganodwale along with committee members, Dr Praveen Sharma, Dr Sunita Verma, Vinod Mishra, Arun Shrivastava and Mumtaz. Here it is noteworthy that Basant is a divyang painter who with a broken arm uses his brush to shape his imagination, holding the brush with the support of a wood and creates such pictures which are rich in imagination and lustre. For the last 25 years, he has been making oil painting, undeterred by his physical challenge. Born on November 22, 1972, the painter's life changed after he met with an accident and became 95 percent disabled. Most of the paintings of Basant depict rich Chhattisgarhi culture and the rural beauty of this place.

 

The farmers and his environment are also favourite subjects of Basant. He has also worked continuously under the ‘Beti Padhao - Beti Bachao’ series. More than 200 canvases are currently made by him. They are being appreciated both within and outside the country. This painter has given prominence in portraying the rural life of Chhattisgarh, while many of his solo and group exhibitions have been organised outside the state and also in the state. His painting can also be seen in the annexure of the Chhattisgarh Assembly, Chief Minister's residence and Raj Bhawan to Rashtrapati Bhawan.

 

Besides representing Chhattisgarh at the National Trade Fair Delhi, paintings made of Basant are also displayed in England and London. In addition to the Samman Nidhi (cash reward), a citation and shawl-shriphal are given to selected artists under ‘Bahumat Samman’. In view of the circumstances arising out of corona pandemic this year the honour will be conferred on Basant Sahu in a brief ceremony to be held in the second week of January.