GRAPHIC FORMS IN WARLI ART

Hiee!! Had been a bit occupied as i had to run a marathon the last few days completing dues at college and due to project submissions. Glad to be back and share a bit more about Warli :)

The extremely simple Warli paintings use very basic graphic forms: a circle, a triangle and a square. The circle and triangle come from their observation of nature; the circle representing the sun or the moon, the triangle derived from mountains and pointed trees. The square seems to obey a different logic and appears to be a human invention, indicating a sacred enclosure or a piece of land. The central motif in each ritual painting is the square, the chowk(or chowkat); inside it, one finds a sacred figure.

The sacred chowk in Warli

The central motif in these ritual paintings is surrounded by scenes portraying hunting, fishing and farming, festivals and dances, trees and animals.

A PEEP INTO THE WORLD OF MADHUBANI

Madhubani painting (derived from the word Madhuban which also means a forest of honey) also known as mithila painting is a style of painting practised in the Mithila region of the state of Bihar.

It provides a splendid feast for the eyes with its bold usage of vibrant colours. The colours used in the original Madhubanis are natural extracts from varioous parts of the plant. These Madhubani paintings are originally done on mud walls.

The blend of the different colours adds to the magnificence of the Madhubani.

The above two are parts of a single Madhubani painting which shows a marriage ceremony

ANOTHER PIECE OF WARLI ART

Warli painting depicting daily life in a village

courtesy: Shalini Pai

WARLI CULTURE

The Warli art innocently reflects the Warli life and is very communicative and alive. The Warli pictures depict the binding between human beings and nature. The symbolic and imagistic pictures can be perceived more by an expression of their way of life rather than an expression of emotion.

Multiple activities in a Warli settlement

courtesy: Shalini Pai

SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE OF WARLI ART IN CEREMONIES

The original symbolism of the painting was (and still is) found in wedding ceremonies and the ceremony could not take place until a painting was complete.

A just-married Warli couple returning home

courtesy: My Mother

WARLI ART ON A POT

A simple Warli painting with its muted colours can do wonders to decorate an earthenware. Varieties of such home decor products are sold at retail stores.

I painted this Warli pot some time back. The new dash of varnish on the Warli pot has done the age miracle :)

Bird's eye view of the warli pot

View of the Warli pot from top

POT PAINTING: Fields in Warli

POT PAINTING: Warli women collecting water and returning home

POT PAINTING: A simple Warli settlement 

My lovely mother's hand at Warli Art!!

The Warli painting shows the very popular bird in Warli art- a majestic peacock!!

It is surrounded by other animals and insects along with the members of the tribe.

the fine lines and details were done using a gel pen.

A very popular bird in Warli art- The majestic peacock!! 

DEPICTION OF HOLI IN WARLI ART

I had taken part in a competition recently where we were expected to depict the festival of Holi- A joyous celebration of colours. I selected the theme of Warli to depict Holi.

Holi is also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit and  is celebrated by throwing scented powder and perfume at each other. Bonfires which are known as Holikaa are lit up on the eve of the festival. After Holikaa dahan the prayers are offered. These bonfires are lit up in the memory of the miraculous escape of  a boy named Prahlad when a Demoness Holikaa, the sister of Hiranyakashyipu, carried him into the fire. The demoness was burnt but Prahlad, a devout of God Vishnu, escaped from the flames without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion.

The depiction of Holi in Warli is very interesting . I used oil pastels in two layers. the first one- a blend of 7 colours, and the second- a layer of black. The black was then scraped out over the desired design. :)

Depiction of the festival Holi in Warli

HOLI: A colourful representation in Warli

Warli Art

I have a few of my paintings in Warli (also known as village painting) to share. I painted these for my grandfather's house.

WARLI ART: The cycle of life

A Warli painting showing the cycle of life(birth, munji/childhood, marriage, work and death) with the sun at the center.