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Crossing Borders with Mithila

An important step in the evolution of Madhubani painting and a major factor in its popularity around the world is the art’s Japanese connection. Nestled deep in the picturesque, mountainous region of Tokamachi in Japan’s Niigata prefecture is a museum with a collection of over 4,000 artworks by some of the greatest Mithila artists. The museum is the mission of a single individual, Tokio Hasegawa, who has spent over 40 years collecting and preserving Indian folk art. In the 1980s, he travelled to Bihar looking for Ganga Devi after chancing upon her artworks brought to Japan by tourists. Enchanted by the form, he turned a vacant school building in Tokamachi into the Mithila Museum. Here, Tokio Hasegawa would collect art as well as host artists like Ganga Devi, Sita Devi and Godawari Dutta. These stalwarts would spend time at the Museum, months at a stretch, thinking, conversing and creating art, in the process sparking lifelong relationships.

 

Sarmaya presents this digital exhibition in collaboration with Mithila Museum to showcase works created by some of the genre’s most legendary artists—accompanying some of the works are notes by Tokio Hasegawa, who shares his memories of collaborating with them. This visual feast is also a Hall of Fame and a crash-course in art history because it gives us a peek into the oeuvre of artists who combined traditional knowledge with artistic flair and great courage. They were stepping out of their homes and comfort zones to blaze a trail for generation of Mithila artists to come.

All images copyright courtesy: Mithila Museum, Japan and Tokio Hasegawa

curated by Mithila Museum, Japan

Tree of Surya Mukhi, 1990, soot and other natural pigments on concrete, Ganga Devi

"I value Ganga Devi as the Picasso of Asia. The 'Tree of Surya Mukhi' was not made overnight. The base of this painting was made in the hall of Nagoya World Design Expo 1989 when she was suffering from cancer. Her strong wish and request was to come to Japan with other artists and I complied with her request."
- Tokio Hasegawa
Ganga Devi was a eminent Mithila artist who brought attention to the art form. She forged her own path and crafted a unique style within the tradition. Ganga Devi had a tragic personal life and, in many ways, her art was shaped partly by her experiences and partly by her socio-cultural position in belonging to the Kayastha caste from Madhubani. In 1988, she was invited to the Mithila Museum in Japan where she created a body of work including the famous, ‘Lion eating a young moon’, a title coined by Hasegawa himself. She also travelled to the United States and created a popular series known as the ‘American Series’ drawing monuments, people and even rollercoasters rides transforming them into fantastical objects in her inimitable style. She was diagnosed with cancer and spent her last days painting the walls of the Craft Museum in Delhi with the Kohbar Ghar, traditional motifs and symbols used to decorate marital chambers. She was awarded several accolades including the Padma Shri in 1984. She succumbed to cancer in 1991. Ganga Devi is remembered for her bold, radical style.

Lion eating a young moon, 1990, soot and other natural pigments on paper, Ganga Devi

"A writer inspired by this drawing, [Baku] Yumemakura won the Japan Science Fiction Award [1989] for his book, 'The Lion That Ate The Moon'. I informed Ganga Devi about this good news. She was staying in the National Handicraft Museum in Delhi at the time and she was also undergoing treatment for cancer. She started to cry and said, 'I have never painted a lion who eats the Moon God.' It is one of many stories of the pure and pious Ganga Devi."
- Tokio Hasegawa

Train in India, 1990, Ganga Devi

Krishna and Radha, Sita Devi

"'Krishna and Radha' by Sita Devi expresses the symbolism of Mithila painting. She was a warm, elegant and patient person who helped many other women in her village. This particular painting is a reflection of her spiritual beliefs and her warmth as a person."
- Tokio Hasegawa

Sita Devi was one of the earliest Mithila artists to transfer paintings from the walls of her home to paper and canvas and exhibit this on international platforms. She was known for using the Bharni style of painting in her work, which meant meticulously filling in spaces with richly coloured figures. Her paintings of the elongated, brightly illustrated figures of Krishna and Radha are particularly well known. While being an artist-in-residence at several institutes both in India and abroad, she reflected deeply and adapted what she observed in the larger world to her art practice. Sita Devi is known for her fascinating images of the World Trade Centre, Arlington National Cemetery and other landmarks observed during her travels in the United States. She visited and stayed to paint at the Mithila Museum in Japan several times. Recipient of the Padma Shri and the Bihar Ratna Samman, Sita Devi was a prolific artist and her pioneering work brought critical attention and focus to the art form. Sita Devi’s work is a part of many international museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Lion, Sita Devi

Moon god-Chandrama, Baua Devi

Baua Devi was a teenager in the 1960s when Bhasker Kulkarni, a researcher from the Handicrafts Board, visited Madhubani to document the art form. Initially unconvinced about commercialising art that she did for intimate family rituals, she soon came to counted among the pioneers who transferred the art from walls to canvas and from traditional iconography to a distinctive personal style. At 20, Baua Devi travelled to Delhi with her contemporaries Jagdamba Devi, Sita Devi and Jamuna Devi to show her work. Since then, Baua Devi has taken her art to venues in France, Barcelona and Japan. She is known for her contemporary perspective, bold compositions and topical references. Her positioning of Goddess Kali in her work is interpreted as strong feminist statement. She won the National Award in 1984 and became the sole Mithila artist and sole Indian woman to show at the seminal 1989 Paris show, 'Magiciens de la Terre'. In 2017, she won the Padma Shri.

Train and Moon, Baua Devi

Chakva, Karpuri Devi

"Karpuri Devi was a pioneering force who brought Mithila art to Japan and was instrumental in the setting up of the Mithila Museum. Her visit and work here increased the popularity of Mithila. She was a patient, positive person who dealt with all circumstances with composure and her indefatigable spirit. I was very sad to hear of her passing last year."
- Tokio Hasegawa

Growing up in Ranti in the district of Madhubani, Karpuri Devi learnt the art of Mithila from her mother and other women in the village. A lot of her artwork centered around the divine duo of Radha-Krishna, although she also excelled in jungle scenes teeming with animals and birds. She was first invited to Japan in 1978 to paint and exhibit her work. It would be the first of nine trips to the country, where she worked at the Mithila Museum. Tokio Hasegawa, the founder of the Museum, was very impressed with Karpuri Devi’s portfolio and worked closely with her to develop her art. She was happy to travel internationally but she also spent time in Ranti encouraging other women to paint and develop their own style. It was at Karpuri Devi’s home where Dulari Devi, another Mithila artist, worked as domestic help. Karpuri Devi mentored and encouraged Dulari to paint, sharing her knowledge of the motifs and style. Karpuri Devi’s daughter, Moti Karn learnt the art of Mithila painting from her growing up and is now a well-renowned, National Award-winning artist herself—Moti Karn is the subject of Sarmaya's film 'Madhubani - Art from a Sacred Land'. Karpuri Devi was also an expert in Sujani, the embroidery art of Bihar. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 94, leaving behind a rich legacy and impressive body of work.

Kohbar, Karpuri Devi

House in Village, Shanti Devi

"Shanti Devi has a strong spirit that is reflected in her work. Her paintings depict everyday life, especially of people from the lower classes. I feel that Shanti Devi's paintings express a culture that's older than Mithila paintings. I remember she would sing songs while painting her pieces."
- Tokio Hasegawa


Shanti Devi is an acclaimed Dalit Mithila painter. She was born in 1963 and grew up facing discrimination and abuse in school and within the village. She recollects that Dalit artists weren’t allowed to paint Hindu gods and goddesses for fear of backlash and so painted local flora and fauna instead. Married at 15, she lived a difficult life with her husband’s family, trying to make ends meet. Inspired by her father-in-law and recalling what she saw in her mother’s paintings, she took her skills to canvas. Meeting American anthropologist Raymond Lee Owen was a turning point in her life. He provide financial support and encouraged her and other Dalit artists to paint prominent figures and heroes from their own mythology. Shanti Devi began incorporating this in her work, painting heroic figures like Raja Salhesh and scenes from her village.

Trishula, Godawari Dutta

"Godawari came to Japan seven times and this masterpiece was completed in two visits. Half of the drawing was done during the first six months and the rest in the second visit. Later, her paintings 'Dhanusa' and 'Damru' were also created in the same way. She has said that her stay at the Mithila Museum helped her art to become well-developed and she was largely influenced by her time here."
- Tokio Hasegawa

Godawari Dutta grew up in Bahadurpur village, Darbhanga. As most other Mithila artists, she learned by observing her mother, Subhadra Devi. In 1971, she made the switch from painting on wall to canvas. She is known for painting scenes and characters from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Godawari Dutta has a long relationship with the Mithila Museum in Japan; she has visited several times, spending 6-7 months each visit, and several of her paintings are part the permanent collection. One of her famous pieces was this painting of the Trishul. She completed it in two stages and it was a divergence from her style. Godawari Dutta credits the Mithila Museum and Tokio Hasegawa for supporting and influencing her art. For her work and contribution to the art form, Godawari was presented the National Award in 1980 and the Shilp Guru by the President in 2006. She is also known for the immense reach and impact she has had beyond her work as an artist. An exemplary contributor to the field, she has trained more than 50,000 students and teachers, helping them become financially independent.

Shiva-Shakti, Godawari Dutta