“I see this as an opportunity"
A visual artist originally from Odisha recently received the United Arab Emirates’ coveted Golden Visa.
Mona Biswarupa Mohanty, based in Dubai, is the first Odia to receive the visa since its inception in 2019.
The visa is granted to those who excel in the fields of arts, literature and culture, heritage history and cognitive studies.
The visa will allow Mona, along with her husband Lalatendu and son Tanay, to stay in the UAE for 10 years.
They will be able to live, work and study in the country without needing a national sponsor, and have full ownership of their business.
Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took to Twitter to congratulate Mona on her achievement.
Congratulate Mona Biswarupa Mohanty @MonaBiswarupa, an artist from Mayurbhanj, on becoming the first Odia artist to receive UAE's coveted #GoldenVisa, a long-term residence visa for 10 years. Her remarkable achievement will inspire others to excel in various fields globally.
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) June 30, 2021
In a tweet from Wednesday, June 30, 2021, he said:
“Congratulate Mona Biswarupa Mohanty, an artist from Mayurbhanj, on becoming the first Odia artist to receive UAE’s coveted #GoldenVisa, a long-term residence visa for 10 years.
“Her remarkable achievement will inspire others to excel in various fields globally.”
Mona also tweeted to respond to Naveen and thanked him for his kind words. She said:
“Honourable Chief Minister Sri Naveen Patnaik Ji, I express my heartfelt gratitude to you, to my state and to all my people.
“It is the blessing of Lord Jagannath.
“This accolade belongs to my homeland, my family, my teachers, friends & mentors. I am just a medium.”
Others also took to Twitter to congratulate Mona. One user said:
“Definitely a proud moment Mona. Odisha is proud of your achievement.”
Mona Biswarupa Mohanty is a freelance artist who focuses her work on the themes of nature and femininity.
She studied Fashion and Textile Design in Milan, after receiving her Fashion Designing diploma from New Delhi’s Institute of Fashion and Technology.
However, her career as an artist began with a diploma in Fine Arts from Baripada’s School of Arts and Crafts.
She is currently registered with the Dubai Economic Department.
Speaking of her groundbreaking achievement, Mona said:
“Dubai, which is culturally diverse and has a vibrant art scene, has always been supportive of art and artists.”
“I thank the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority for granting me this long term residency and Odia Samaj in the UAE to have always supported my endeavours.
“I will use this opportunity for creative collaboration with artists from other parts of the world working in the UAE.”
The artist added:
“I see this as an opportunity to represent my country and culture and mingle with other cultures to contribute to the ever-growing global cultural heritage.”
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