Noteworthy female tribal artists

Laado Bai is informed by the deep belief of Bhil community in animistic myths. Born and brought up in the milieu of city, Japani Shyam’s perspective on different Gond beliefs and ritual is understandably slightly distanced, and a touch different from that of her parents. A distinct aesthetic by Sita Devi popularized Mithila painting’s ‘bharni’ style, emphasizing strong colors over fine lines. They all form part of the Folk & Tribal Art Auction courtesy Saffronart.

Laado Bai

Hailing from the village of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh, she creates artworks that reflect the flora and fauna of her immediate environment along with the rituals and festivals of her tribe. Under the guidance of the artist Jagdish Swaminathan, she began transferring her paintings from the rough mud walls of her tribal home to paper and canvas at the Roopanker Museum as part of Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, in the 1970s. Today, the artist works at the Adivasi Lok Kala Academy.

Japani Shyam

She was named after Japan, one of the favorite countries of her father Jangarh Singh Shyam. Under the guidance of this renowned Gond artist, she began to paint at a very early age, and at the tender age of 11 won the Kamala Devi Award for her work. In her work, Japani Shyam attempts to bring to the forefront the different moods of animals, their struggle to sustain themselves and survive in changing environments.

Gangu Bai

A prominent Bhil artist, Gangu Bai, is known for paintings that reflect the ritual-steeped culture of her tribal community in Madhya Pradesh. Based at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya or the National Museum of Mankind in Bhopal, her art speaks of the Bhil's close relationship with Nature, and raises awareness about their unique culture and agriculture-based lifestyle.

Sita Devi

One of the most prominent early Mithila artists and among the first to transfer the traditional art form from the walls of the home to paper and canvas, she was a Mahapatra Brahmin from the village of Jitwarpur. “Sita Devi’s elegant elongated and richly coloured paintings of Krishna, Radha, and other gods and goddesses, are well known.