Born in 1968, Asit Kumar Patnayak spent most of his childhood in Cuttack. He graduated in fine arts from Government College of Arts and Crafts at Khalikote and post graduated from BHU, Vara-nasi.
To have a perfect balance, the creator of the world made a yin for every yang. He made sure that it doesn’t have too much evil and not everything is only good either. Asit Kumar Paynaik’s paint-ings seem to be at a perfect balance as well. His cool colour tones in the background are balanced with the warm subjects, both men and women perform an important role as his subjects. His paint-ings appeal to the human mind and have a sensual tone to them. The cracked background not only adds an interesting, rustic texture to the painting but also compliments the artist’s work of finding a balance between smooth flowing lines and distinguished textures. Through the still gazes, the coy smiles, the stolen glances, the physical distance between the men and the women in these paint-ings, the artist explores the relationship between the two.
He has received numerous awards such as National Cultural Scholarship and Junior Fellow-ship from MHRD, The Department of Culture, Govt. of India in the field of Fine Arts.