Madhubani Painting

As far as I remember, as a kid, I was never into painting. But sometime in 2006 I was introduced to the folk art of Mithila paintings by my sister-in-law. I saw some of her paintings and got really interested in it. She gave me a few books about the history and cultural significance of this art form. 

Also known as Madhubani paintings, the origin of these paintings is the Indian state of Bihar. Usually done on fresh plastered mud wall of huts and colored with vegetable dyes, they have now been adapted on canvas, handmade paper and cloth. 

Paintings reflect ideas, expressions of artists and also the heritage of the country. India is geographically and culturally very diverse. Paintings from each state have their own unique flair. Their captivating nature, connection to religion and rich style has drawn a lot of attention from collectors and critics.

There are several forms of Indian paintings such as Warli, Tanjore, Madhubani, Phad, Mughal, etc. Each of these differs not only in the painting materials used but also in its use of different platforms like paper, cloth, stone, wood, walls of caves, temples.

Themes of Madhubani paintings depict Hindu Mythology and traditions. Some of the focal elements of these paintings include floral patterns, bold colors, abstract figures, bulging eyes, sun, moon, animal, birds and geometric designs. Every Madhubani painting holds a symbolic meaning which makes it very intriguing to me. 

I tried my hand at it and since 2006 I have done many Madhubani paintings. I am planning to do a few posts about my experiments with the same. Stay tuned. 

-Smriti.

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