Berhampur: Sukanti Das (27) of Badapur in Ganjam district does not belong to the Soura community, but the art of these particularly vulnerable tribal groups is now a sustainable source of her livelihood.Mother of a girl, Sukanti, won recognition in the AI Impact Summit held at New Delhi last month by painting Soura art on the canvases using artificial intelligence (AI). Art lovers lavished praise on Sukanti for giving a lease of life to the dying art on Women’s Day. “She is not just an artist, but now a successful entrepreneur,” said Archana Gouda, another artist in the area.She is earning from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 a month by selling her art at present. During peak festive seasons, she earns up to Rs 25,000 per month, when her creations are sought by home decorators and companies. The art originates from the mud walls of Lanjia Soura tribal homes in southern Odisha districts like Gajapati and Rayagada. But due to lack of market linkage and modern technique, the traditional tribal art is on the verge of dying.“After getting trained by a company, I have painted different artworks, particularly Soura art, on canvas for past five years. Now, I have been painting this by using AI from mobile phones,” she said. At the AI summit, she had drawn 15 Soura paintings using AI of which 11 were displayed on big screens. The guests attending the summit appreciated the paintings,” she said.Besides painting, she now trains 30 other women in the area. Belonging to a family of daily wagers and educated in Plus III, the transformative journey of Sukanti was very critical. Initially, her friends and relatives raised doubts over the painting as a livelihood option.However, Sukanti’s self-confidence and support from a company helped make Soura art her source of livelihood. “I have been getting orders online across the country for supply of Soura paintings,” she said. She has also connected to various exhibitions to sell her works, as far as Nepal and Bhutan. She was working to sell these in some other countries like the US, UK and France among others. “I am working hard to improve their quality and make them appear more vibrant by using AI tools,” she said.
