Friday, April 5, 2013

Prominent tribal art showcases

London-based Grosvenor Gallery has just hosted a show of wonderful Warli paintings in association with Hervé Perdriolle, a known expert in Indian tribal and folk art. Created by members of a tribe, which lives in the Thane District, about 90 miles north of Mumbai, the incessant movement in their art is related to human activity in general.

The reason why gods are rarely represented in their art is because they are generally manifested in the forms of animals, minerals or plants. Trees are very common in Warli paintings and depicted with great care, as the spirits particularly like to manifest themselves in this form of life.

Below are some other most prominent tribal art showcases in the recent times, aiming to bring audiences closer to a fascinating traditional folk art form that signifies India’s rich heritage and culture nurtured by artistic ‘adivasis’:
• ‘Vernacular, In the Contemporary’, a significant two parts show at Devi Art Foundation in New Delhi, featured over 60 artists typically categorized as makers of folk and tribal art from remote corners of the country. It showcased their amazing artistic productions.

• Curated by noted museologist Jyotindra Jain, a major showcase courtesy Paris-based Musée du Quai Branly a few years ago unraveled the most fascinating artistic face of India. Apart from focusing on several magnificent macrocosms each corresponding to the different tribal communities, ‘Other Masters of India: Contemporary Creations of the Adivasis’ featured two world-renowned contemporary artists, Jangarh Singh Shyam (Gond) and Jivya Soma Mashe (Warli tribe).

• Mumbai-based Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA) presented an interesting show, entitled ‘Tribal Instincts - The Ancient & The Contemporary’. It featured works by Ramsingh Urveti and Arijoy Bhattacharya, both following traditional forms of painting and sculpture making.

• Two other Mumbai galleries Pundole (Gond artists with the likes of Bhuribai) and Chemould Prescott Road (drawings and paintings of Jangarh Singh Shyam & family) held tribal art shows, whereas New Delhi’s W+K Exp hosted an exhibition of Gond sculptures, entitled ‘Dog Father, Fox Mother, their Daughter & Other Stories’.

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