The folk art of India is mesmerizing
India is a land of many colours and when one speaks of art, there is a whole galore of art forms which have originated in India and have left their mark all across the globe. Rooted deep into the culture and heritage of its history and ever-evolving past, India has been through a lot and experienced a wide number of civilizations stand and perish in front of its eyes. When it comes to the folk art of India, there would hardly be any country in the whole world which would have a higher number in varieties of the same to offer.
I have listed the top 5 folk art of India which has gained worldwide recognition.
Madhubani Painting
Madhubani, also known as Mithila is a type of folk art form originating in the Bihar state of India and also Nepal. The word Madhu which means Honey and Bani meaning Forest literally translates as “Forests of Honey”. Usually done on the eve of important occasions or festivities, the art goes on to cover the entire space it’s been done on leaving no part blank at all. The folk art of India that I seen widely used in the State of Rajasthan.
Patachitra Art
Patachitra, this exotic work of art form which has its origins rooted deep into the Indian state of Orissa. The word literally translates as “picture on cloth canvas”. A highly exotic form of painting style, the Patachitra art is greatly honored and this folk art of India respected across the entire State as well as the country. It has also been making its impact felt all over the world.
Bengal Pat
The Bengal Pat is a primitive form of art which originated in Bengal. These paintings were highly thematic and basically depicted the lives of the people which transverse through the golden period. Most of these artworks displayed an urge for bringing about a social change among the society as the content of art was highly satirical and would mock some of the malpractices which infested the society.
Miniature Painting
Out of many genres of art which have originated in India, miniature paintings is that folk art of India that stands out as it captures the true essence of Indian art. Miniature art is generally executed on materials such as books, canvas or paper. The Palas of Bengal is to be credited with pioneering the miniature form of painting in the country but it wasn’t until the Mughal period that this form of art made its impact felt all across the world.
Tanjore Art
Last but not least, Tanjore art’s origin can be traced back to 1600 AD in the town of Thanjavur. This folk art of India is a classical South Indian style of painting which involves the use of rich, flat and vivid colours filling up simple and bold compositions. Gold foils are then used as a part of really fragile gesso work and also pieces of glass beads for are used for inlay work. Very rarely precious or semi-precious stones are also used instead of the glass beads.
No matter where any of these paintings originate from, love for the folk art of India is unmatched. Whether it is Madhubani or the Bengal Pat, people from across the globe have appreciated and done much more to bring these folk arts into their homes.
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