Bengal Pattachitra

Song sung true

In this video by Sabrang India, Patuas of Midnapur and Birbhum in West Bengal narrate their nomadic and bicultural identities. Listen to the melodic Patar Gaan and experience this art the way it is meant to be.

Spin the colour wheel!

The pigments used by Patua artists are quite organic, obtained from locally available natural vegetation, fruits, flowers, mud/clay, ash from earthen pots and soot from charcoal. While some do make use of modern acrylic colours, most stick to the traditional, organic way of sourcing and processing them in coconut shells. Here are a few colours plucked and their natural source materials.

Behind the scrolls

Though Patuas today use chart-paper as a canvas for their paintings, earlier generations of artists would create their own. These homespun canvases were handmade paper backed with recycled bit of fabric, usually saris, and fixed with homemade glue. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a scroll painting.