Spotlight
Madhubani paintings: Hidden Dalit histories
Hailing from a family of pioneering Dalit artists, Urmila Devi and Shravan Paswan talk about their trials and triumphs in the world of Madhubani art
Search Results for: Madhubani
Spotlight
Drawing Strength – How Madhubani Artists Have Challenged Caste Oppression
Dalit and Bahujan artists always have infused creative genius into Madhubani painting and kept it relevant. As their struggle for equality rages vigorously in society at large, it flows too through the veins of this art
Exhibitions
On The Road in Madhubani
Photographer and author Chirodeep Chaudhuri curates a virtual exhibition of photographs taken during Sarmaya’s trip to Madhubani
Spotlight
Madhubani
Welcome to the historic land of Mithila, home to a beautiful art that is part-myth and part-memory. Today a town called Madhubani in Bihar houses some of the most gifted artists of this tradition. We are proud to present our second film Madhubani – Art from a Sacred Land, which travels to a tiny hamlet… Read more »
Spotlight
Sarmaya presents ‘Madhubani – Art from a Sacred Land’
The stories, histories and personalities behind our short film on the many-layered art of Madhubani
Guides
Madhubani or Mithila Painting
Colourful creepers of Madhubani painting snake all over the state of Bihar, intertwined with the cultural identity of the state. This art reveals so much about the spiritual anchors and domestic rhythms of the people of the historic region of Mithila. But to get under the skin of it, it helps to understand a little about… Read more »
Guides
Ulterior Motifs – Icons & Symbols That Define Madhubani Art
A brief look at the techniques, symbols and themes to which Madhubani artists return again and again for sustenance and grounding. These are the artistic and spiritual leitmotifs of Madhubani paintings
Spotlight
Honeyed Vines – Floral Motifs in Madhubani Art
The flowers of Bihar are both a symbol and an essential ingredient in traditional Mithila or Madhubani paintings
Sarmaya @School
Madhubani art at a children’s home
At: St Catherine’s Home, Mumbai, On: January 21, 2018
Saturdays at Sarmaya
Celebrating women
On 16th March 2024, we invited a group of participants to celebrate women from the Sarmaya collection who have carved their own identities by breaking boundaries. For this session, we focused on subversive female voices by exploring the fascinating world of a few courageous women such as Razia Sultan, Nur Jahan, Fanny Parkes, Lena Lowis, Umrao… Read more »
Saturdays at Sarmaya
Traditional Indian art: Show and tell session
On 2nd December 2023, we invited visitors curious about Indian traditional art to our archive. In a show-and-tell session, we introduced them to some ancient storytelling artforms, from the Sarmaya collection. For this session, we explored Mithila, Pattachitra, Mata-ni-Pachedi and Tholu Bommalaata. Some of the prominent works that we presented belonged to renowned artists like… Read more »
Partnerships
Sanctuary Nature Foundation
In April 2023, Sarmaya collaborated with Sanctuary Asia for the global design challenge #36DaysOfType. Together, we embarked on an A-Z safari of India’s magnificent natural diversity, pairing objects from our collection with stunning photographs from Sanctuary Asia’s archives. This creative fusion resulted in the captivating series #IntoTheWild. On July 15, we hosted a pop-up exhibition of… Read more »
Reads
“Echoes of the Land has been a revelation for us at Ojas”
In conversation with Anubhav Nath, founder of Ojas Art, on the collaboration with Sarmaya and the vitality of indigenous art
Talks
The Splendour of The Forest by Pavitra Rajaram
In this talk, Sarmaya Brand Custodian Pavitra Rajaram examines the tensions between the eastern and western perspectives on nature.
Films
Sarmaya Films is a special series that documents the living traditions of India in ways that centre the communities, indigenous practices and natural eco-systems that nourish and preserve these art forms. So far, our journey has led us to the vanishing shadow-puppeteers of Dharmavaram in Andhra Pradesh and the next generation of an illustrious family… Read more »
Collections ★
Untitled (Shiva)
Mithila painting is a traditional mural artform from Madhubani district, Bihar. The artform is known to be a woman’s preserve, one that has roots in the wedding rituals of the Maithil community. Today, many artists from both genders create canvases filled with depictions of religious gods and symbols, socio-political issues, and rural and natural life.… Read more »
Exhibitions
reimagine I
‘reimagine’ is an ongoing Instagram-exclusive series through which we make connections across the Sarmaya collection and examine the extent to which our ways of seeing — and an object’s own meaning — are informed by time, space, and context
Collections
Untitled (Ras Leela and other episodes from the Bhagwat Purana)
Mithila painting is a traditional mural artform from Madhubani district, Bihar. The artform is known to be a woman’s preserve, one that has roots in the wedding rituals of the Maithil community. Today, many artists from both genders create canvases filled with depictions of religious gods and symbols, socio-political issues as well as rural and… Read more »
Collections
Goddess Bhairavi and Chinnamasta
Mithila painting is a traditional mural artform from Madhubani district, Bihar. The artform is known to be a woman’s preserve, one that has roots in the wedding rituals of the Maithil community. Today, many artists from both genders create canvases filled with depictions of religious gods and symbols, socio-political issues as well as rural and… Read more »
Collections
Goddess Kaali and Tara
Mithila painting is a traditional mural artform from Madhubani district, Bihar. The artform is known to be a woman’s preserve, one that has roots in the wedding rituals of the Maithil community. Today, many artists from both genders create canvases filled with depictions of religious gods and symbols, socio-political issues as well as rural and… Read more »