I am not a painter or artist by training. Occasionally, I play with colors to overcome my boredom. Like a child, I share my artworks with my near and dear ones. One day, my mentor, Dr. Jayakrushna Choudhury, asked if he could use one of my artworks for the cover design of his book, which was then getting ready to be published. I was thrilled. Though my work is novice, my art in this case has relevance to the story of his translation.

The publisher, Dr Sunanda Panda, is a dear friend of mine too. So she asked me to help with proofreading during the DTP of the book. My job was simple, only to check spelling errors. But this worked to my advantage and I got to read the book even before it was published. During that time I got to read it multiple times. The more I read the more I discovered myself. The philosophy behind the story helped me understand the restless artist in me. Boredom is something we all experience. But through this classic one thing can be interpreted, material or physical pleasure from mundane life is not the answer to overcoming boredom.

‘The Empty Canvas’ was originally written in Italian by Alberto Moravia. This book is considered a classic because it explores matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existential absurdities of life. Moravia’s writings reflect the advent of neo-realism and existentialism in European literature and earned him thirteen times nominations for the Nobel Prize.  His novel La Noia (Boredom), filmed with that title by Damiano Damiani in 1963 was released in the US as The Empty Canvas in 1964. It immediately brought him global fame and recognition. This book was again adapted for film as L’Ennui by Cédric Kahn (1998), The book, ‘Shunya Chitrapata’ exhibits Dr Choudhury’s brilliant translation into the Odia language. To purchase a copy please visit this link.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shunya-Chitrapata-Alberto-Moravia/dp/1777681952 It is published by Vidya Publishing, Canada.

About the author of “Shunya Chitrapata”

—ଡ. ଜୟକୃଷ୍ଣ ଚୌଧୁରୀ ଭୁବନେଶ୍ବରସ୍ଥିତ ଆଦର୍ଶ ବହୁମୁଖୀ ବିଦ୍ୟାଳୟରେ ଅଧ୍ୟାପନା କରନ୍ତି । ପେଶାରେ ପଦାର୍ଥ ବିଜ୍ଞାନର ଶିକ୍ଷକ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେ ଜଣେ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ରସିକ । ଅଜସ୍ର କବିତା ସହ ଗଳ୍ପ, ଉପନ୍ୟାସ, ଅନୁବାଦ ଓ ପ୍ରବନ୍ଧ ରଚନା ଦ୍ଵାରା ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଭାଷାକୁ ସେ ସମୃଦ୍ଧ କରିଛନ୍ତି । ତାଙ୍କର ‘ଶୂନ୍ୟ ଚିତ୍ରପଟ’ ଇତାଲୀୟ ସାହିତ୍ୟିକ ଆଲବର୍ଟୋ ମୋରାଭିଆଙ୍କ ରଚିତ La Noia ପୁସ୍ତକର ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଭାଷାନ୍ତର । ଆଧୁନିକ ଯୌନତା, ସାମାଜିକ ଆତ୍ମନ୍ତରଣ ଏବଂ ଅସ୍ତିତ୍ଵବାଦୀ ଉଦ୍ଭଟତାକୁ ନେଇ ଲିଖିତ ଏଇ ରଚନା ବିଶ୍ଵ ସାହିତ୍ୟରେ କ୍ଲାସିକ ମାନ୍ୟତା ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ଏକ ଉପନ୍ୟାସ । ମୋରାଭିଆଙ୍କ ରଚନା ୟୁରୋପୀୟ ସାହିତ୍ୟରେ ନବ୍ୟ-ବାସ୍ତବବାଦ ଏବଂ ଅସ୍ତିତ୍ଵବାଦର ବାର୍ତ୍ତାବହ ହେଇ ଆସିଥିଲା ଯୋଉଥିପାଇଁ କି ନୋବେଲ ପୁରସ୍କାର ପାଇଁ ତାଙ୍କ ନାମ ତେରଥର ପ୍ରସ୍ତାବିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା । ତାଙ୍କର ‘ଲା ନୋଇଆ’ ଉପନ୍ଯାସ ଡାମିଆନୋ ଡାମିଆନିଙ୍କ ଦ୍ବାରା ୧୯୬୩ ମସିହାରେ ଚଳଚ୍ଚିତ୍ରରେ ପରିବେଶିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା ଏବଂ ତାହା The Empty Canvas ନାମରେ ଆମେରିକାରେ ମୁକ୍ତିଲାଭ କରି ମୋରାଭିଆଙ୍କୁ ବିଶ୍ଵପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧି ଆଣିଦେଲା । ଏ ଲେଖାର ଆବେଦନ ଏଭଳି ତୀବ୍ର ଥିଲା ଯେ ୧୯୯୮ ମସିହାରେ ସେଡ୍ରିକ କାହ୍ନ ଏହାକୁ ପୁନର୍ବାର ଏକ ଚଳଚ୍ଚିତ୍ରରେ ରୂପାନ୍ତରିତ କରିଥିଲେ ।