An excerpt from an art exhibition tete-a-tete at Jehangir Art Gallery Mumbai, "my ten year old daughter Smriti has fallen for one of your paintings, she would like to own the same. We have come from Delhi and happened to come to see your painting but we are very tight on our funds." The exhibiting artist Bira Kishor was too overwhelmed by his young fan admiring his painting and wanting to posses one. Kishor sold his painting for a mere Rs.500 only to this little fan and promised her to teach rudiments of paintings in case they meet next.

We are talking here about Bira Kishor Patra, a resident of Powai. Presently employed as an Art teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya and residing in the teachers colony here. The journey has not been easy. After finishing his graduation from Khallikote, he moved on to Benares Hindu University (BHU) for Masters in Fine Arts. He reveals "It was here that I developed my aesthetic sensibility. The classic city of Benares has every thing for the inner growth of an artist. I owe a lot to it." He won an award for one of the paintings done here at the Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi organized exhibition.
A great opportunity came by on the completion of his Masters in Fine Arts, in the form of an offer for lectureship in BHU. For Bira Kishor this was a good chance as he loved BHU and Benares, and here he was getting a lucrative and secure job and a chance to settle for life. But one part of him told him to move on and not limit himself to just a teaching job, the artist in him triumphed and we could say that Benares' loss was Mumbai's gain. Being a native of Orissa, Bira Kishor Patra's heart belongs there. The effects of the wrath of mother nature is very profoundly seen and felt in this state. Having been a witness to the cyclones, tidal waves and wide spread destruction, this artist's heart feels and aches for his people and this emotion is very well depicted when transferred on canvas and other mediums of art. Another unique aspect about Bira Kishor is that he does not limit himself to any one form of art but keeps experimenting with oil, canvas, water colours etc. The life, the suffering, the struggle, and their simple way of existence is very sensitively and artistically portrayed in his paintings. He finds his inspiration all around in nature and all the wonders it has to offer. He nurtures a special fondness for the tribal culture and the simplicity of its people. Till date he has won a number of awards and accolades for his work. He has held a lot of exhibitions in the various cities of India-including the Ravindra Bhavan in New Delhi, U.P Lalit Kala Akademi, Rajasthan Lalit Kala Akademi, Natoinal Art Fair and Nehru Centre Art Gallery. His works have also found place in U.P Raj Bhavan, Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi and various collections abroad. The list of his clients reads like the Ambanis, big industrialists, and famous film personalities. His exhibitions including the one he held in Mumbais famous Jehangir Art Gallery, were a huge success. He got rave reviews and a mention in all the national news papers like the Times Group, Indian Express, Navbharat, Dainik Sandhya etc.

Like they say that God only helps those who help themselves - this is so true in Bira Kishor Patra's case. One step taken in the right direction and things started falling in place, as if there is some superior force working in his favour and guiding him through thick and thin, highs and lows and success and failures. At the end of the day what matters is fulfilling ones goals, dreams and aspirations. Today he can sit back in the lap of greenery and nature of his Powai home and bask in the glory of his well deserved success and also in the satisfaction of having made his people back home very proud of him.