PHALGUNI PATTNAIK

Straw is a simple material. In my work, it becomes structure, texture, and story.I create detailed artworks using carefully cut and arranged pieces of straw. Each work is built by hand, layer by layer.By selecting straw of different ages, I bring natural variations in tone, from pale gold to deep brown, without artificial coloring.My subjects draw from mythology, temple architecture, tribal life, nature, and symbolic geometry.Many works reinterpret traditional Indian forms such as Ganesha, Jagannath, classical dancers, and sacred diagrams through the precision of straw mosaic.Every piece is constructed through patience and control. Straw is split, flattened, shaped, and placed individually to create contrast, depth, and rhythm.The process is slow. The material demands it.This body of work is an exploration of how a fragile element can hold permanence through discipline and design.Phalguni Pattnaik