Odisha Craft Odyssey (OCO) will present Odisha Craft Odyssey: Dokra Craft Exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi, Bhubaneswar, from 27 November to 7 December 2026. The exhibition will showcase the outcomes of OCO’s third residency programme, bringing together field research, documentation and artistic interpretations of Odisha’s Dokra metal-casting tradition. The project focuses on Sadeibereni in Dhenkanal district, examining the techniques, histories, material knowledge and cultural contexts that continue to shape the craft.
Exploring Dokra Through Research and Artistic Practice
The exhibition follows a multidisciplinary residency that brings together three practitioners: visual artist and photographer Tejal Kawachi, independent researcher Dr Reema K, and contemporary artist Muskaan Singh. Their work engages with artisan communities to investigate the knowledge, labour and experiences behind Dokra production.
Rather than focusing solely on finished metal objects, the residency considers how craft is sustained through relationships between people, materials, inherited techniques and community histories. The exhibition will bring these investigations into a public setting, connecting research-based approaches with contemporary artistic practice.
Fieldwork in Sadeibereni
Located in Dhenkanal district, Sadeibereni is recognised as a centre for Dokra casting in Odisha. The craft uses the traditional lost-wax technique, in which wax models and moulds are used to produce individual metal objects. The method requires detailed manual work, with each casting shaped by the maker’s skills and decisions.
According to Odisha Tourism, the area is associated with a range of handcrafted objects, including figurines, ritual bells, lamps and decorative forms. The exhibition’s research will extend beyond the visual qualities of these objects to consider the processes, tools, materials and social contexts involved in their production.
Three Practitioners, Different Perspectives
The residency brings distinct approaches to the study of Dokra. Kawachi’s practice combines photography and visual art to explore identity, memory and labour. Dr Reema K’s research focuses on visual culture, ethnography and contemporary South Asian art, while Singh’s artistic practice examines women’s labour through visual art, literature and vernacular idioms.
Their field engagement includes visits to artisan workshops, conversations with craftspeople and documentation of making processes. Research methods such as photography and field notes will help examine the historical, cultural and aesthetic dimensions of the tradition, including the relationship between artisanal knowledge, labour and community identity.
Looking Beyond the Finished Object
The exhibition is intended to present the outcomes of the residency through a format accessible to diverse audiences. Its emphasis is on the stories and knowledge systems surrounding Dokra, rather than treating the craft as an isolated category of traditional objects.
OCO curator Sibdas Sengupta has described the residency’s wider research interests as including histories of migration, material trajectories and community divisions, and how these shifts can shape new aesthetic expressions. The programme therefore approaches craft as an evolving practice influenced by social change, memory and cultural exchange.
OCO’s Continuing Craft Research
Odisha Craft Odyssey is a multi-year research and documentation initiative established by the MGM Foundation and Bhubaneswar Experimental Art and Design Studio (BEADS). Through residencies, research, publications and exhibitions, it brings artisans into dialogue with artists, designers and researchers, while challenging conventional divisions between fine art and craft.
The first residency, held in 2024, focused on Kansa, or bell metal. The second edition, in 2025, explored Pipili’s Chandua appliqué tradition. The Dokra programme continues this sequence, extending OCO’s research into the communities and knowledge systems that sustain Odisha’s craft heritage. Further information about the programme is available on the official Odisha Craft Odyssey website.
Exhibition Details and Public Access
| Event Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event Name | Odisha Craft Odyssey: Dokra Craft Exhibition |
| Artists and Researchers | Tejal Kawachi, Dr Reema K and Muskaan Singh |
| Venue | Lalit Kala Akademi, Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India |
| Exhibition Dates | 27 November–7 December 2026 |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 AM–6:00 PM |
| Organiser | Odisha Craft Odyssey (OCO), an initiative of the MGM Foundation and BEADS |
| Website / Registration | Official OCO website |
Odisha Craft Odyssey: Dokra Craft Exhibition will be open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily, from 27 November to 7 December 2026, at Lalit Kala Akademi in Bhubaneswar. The supplied announcement does not specify an entry fee, ticketing arrangements or a registration process; visitors should consult OCO’s official website for updates before attending.
By bringing field research and artistic interpretation together, the exhibition will offer visitors an opportunity to consider Dokra as both a material practice and a record of community knowledge. It also places artisans’ experiences within broader conversations about cultural heritage, labour and contemporary art, highlighting the importance of documenting living traditions while recognising the people who continue to sustain them.
