Team Mojarto
The soul of India lives in its tribes. Despite habitat loss and diminishing
livelihoods, the tribal communities strive to preserve and practice their
traditions. Contemporary tribal art helps us partake in its living heritage. It
represents their culture, living traditions and creative expressions. The term
tribes paint our mind with images of bright colours, ornate costumes and
intricately hand-made designs. There lies the vibrancy and aesthetics of the
tribal art forms.
Every ethnic group has its style and pattern of art. The ethnocentric sensibilities
are effectively captured on the canvas by various artists. Madhubani paintings
of Bihar, Patachitra paintings of Odisha, Gond paintings and other such tribal
arts are unique in their ways. The artists have incorporated contemporary
themes without disturbing their traditional styles. They deliver a colourful
kaleidoscope of culture on canvas to enhance the elegance of our walls.
Originally, this art flourished in the hamlets of Mithila, Bihar. The ethnic group
used these art forms to decorate their house walls to seek God’s blessing for
peace and prosperity. The artists elaborately use figures from nature and
mythology, which are enticing. The geometrical designs used to fill up the gaps
express a sense of satisfaction and create a sensuous outburst. These
instinctively made heritage paintings on the canvas majestically ornate the
edifices of modern times. These colourful, vibrant and detailed artworks kindle
the sensory perceptions gently.
Warli tribes of Maharastra practised Warli art forms. Amid different art forms
with a riot of colours, these paintings use only white pigment subtly on a red
background. The ebullience of their content is balances this subtlety. It captures
simplicity, harmony and unity through its triangles and circles. The artists
beautifully portray the values of interrelationship and interdependence of all life
on the canvas using these geometric symbols.
The use of bright vivid colours like red, blue, green and yellow is a striking
uniqueness of Gond paintings. Dots and dashes give a sense of movement to the
still images. Experience the true essence of Indian culture through these tribal
arts revived and preserved by the artists through their acrylics and oil paints on
the canvas.
Click here to experience more of the tribal arts of India