Arts of India

Shatrunjaya pata

Painted on cotton cloths, Shatrunjaya patas map the physical and divine characteristics of the sacred hill in Palitana, Gujarat

In Kalamkari Country

Art historian Rajarshi Sengupta takes us on a tour of south India’s celebrated Kalamkari textile tradition

Untitled

This Gond-Pardhan painting is an acrylic on canvas work, made by artist Mayank Shyam (b. 1987) This painting depicts a body of water teeming with fish. Mayank Shyam found inspiration in the folktale of the Bada Dev, the main deity of the Gond-Pardhan community, that is believed to have been born as a fish in the water. The… Read more »

Untitled

The Untitled Gond-Pardhan painting is an acrylic on paper work, made by artist Sukhnandi Vyam (b. 1983). This painting illustrates a passage from a mythology in the Gond community about Kammalheero, the queen consort of the king of Heergadhi. Kammalheero, disguised as a cow, travels to the enemy realm in search of her husband’s body after… Read more »

Untitled

This untitled Bhil painting is by contemporary artist Lado Bai (b. 1954) depicting flora, fauna and a human figure. For the Bhil tribe of Madhya Pradesh, art is a device for marking events, preserving memories and capturing the community’s deep connection with nature. The fundamental theme of Lado Bai’s artwork is the symbiotic relationships between… Read more »

Kansari (Goddess of Seeds)

This Warli artwork titled ‘Kansari’ is by Tushar Vayeda (b.1987) and Mayur Vayeda (b.1992), artists based in Ganjad, Maharashtra.  The Warli way of life is the way of the forest. The spirits worshipped by the tribe are personifications of natural phenomena. One such spirit is the subject of Tushar and Mayur Vayeda’s painting, Kansari, named… Read more »

The Wave

This Warli artwork titled ‘The Wave’ is by Tushar Vayeda (b.1987) and Mayur Vayeda (b.1992), artists based in Ganjad, Maharashtra.  Tushar and Mayur Vayeda retell a Warli legend in this work. There’s a belief in the community that in each life cycle of the earth, waves of natural and man-made disasters will strike until eventually,… Read more »

Ploughing (Hal Chalana)

This Bhil painting  titled Ploughing (Hal Chalana), is an acrylic on canvas work, made by artist Subhash Amliyar (b.1985) For the Bhil tribe of Madhya Pradesh, art is a device for marking events, preserving memories and capturing the community’s deep connection with nature. In Subhash Amliyar’s composition, a figure reminiscent of Lord Ganesha is seen… Read more »

Transport Series (Train I-V)

This Gond-Pardhan painting (set of 5 panels) titled the ‘Transport Series (Train I-V)’ is an acrylic on canvas work, made by artist Mayank Shyam (b. 1987) Mayank Shyam is from the Gond-Pradhan community in Madhya Pradesh. His art is never purely observational. Behind each painting is a philosophy, message or story. In the Transport series, he draws… Read more »

Transport series (Plane I-V)

This Gond-Pardhan painting (set of 5 panels) titled the ‘Transport Series (Plane I-V)’ is an acrylic on canvas work, made by artist Mayank Shyam (b. 1987) Mayank Shyam is from the Gond-Pradhan community in Madhya Pradesh. His art is never purely observational. Behind each painting is a philosophy, message or story. In the Transport series,… Read more »

Untitled (Tree of Life)

The Untitled Gond-Pardhan painting is a Gouache and ink on paper work, made by artist Durgabai Vyam (b. 1972) The Mahua is considered the tree of life among the Gond-Pradhans of Madhya Pradesh. It plays a central role in the rituals and ceremonies of the community. Durga Bai Vyam conveys this bond in her Untitled work.… Read more »

Untitled (Mahadev ka Netra)

The Untitled Gond-Pardhan painting is an acrylic on paper work, made by artist Sukhnandi Vyam (b. 1983) To see the world as it really is, our eyes must first be ‘awakened’ to enlightenment. Sukhnandi Vyam explores this idea using his signature motif of human eyes, which surround the omniscient third eye of Lord Shiva. In the… Read more »