Asit Patnaik, born in Orissa, spent his childhood in Cuttack and completed his bachelor's degree in fine art from Government College of Art and Crafts at Khalikote and master's from BHU Varanasi, where he was a gold medalist. Asit’s narratives revolve around the interpersonal relationships of people within society. There is a certain sensitivity in his works, accentuated by his technique and choice of colours and textures. He captures complex emotions through his semi-clad male and female figures, depicted in varied postures. The deceptive simplicity of his lines adds to the sensuality of the robust figures. There is a sense of mystery as well as visual harmony in his paintings. Asit’s man and woman are not merely the proverbial yin and yang; they are also the memories and potentials, selves lost and reclaimed. The same looks exchanged between his figures could be alternatively read as nostalgic, pensive, introspective and even futuristic.