Folk Paintings

In the remotest corners of India one finds the most unadulterated expressions of Art. For years scholars engaged in the study of anthropology have dismissed these forms of self-expression as “primitive” and “inconsequential”, but one has to only see Folk Paintings of India to be dazzled by their simplistic brilliance. No wonder that, today, what the women of Madhubani, Bihar, have been practicing daily without any fanfare, is such a celebrated art form. Indian Folk Paintings are the toast of the world art circuit.

The color and the vivacity of these traditional art forms lend them the quaint charm that very few other art forms can aspire for. Indeed one can safely say that the ethnic Indian sensibilities are best represented through the Folk Paintings.

The Madhubani paintings of Bihar, the Pata paintings of Orissa and the Nirmal paintings of Andhra Pradesh are only a few samples of the vast gallery of Indian Folk Paintings. The Indian Hindu epics are the primary source of inspiration for the Indian Folk Paintings.

The discovery of Indian Folk Paintings

It is commonly said that one refuses to see the beauty of ones own yard until one sees all there is to see in this world. So is the story of Indian Folk Paintings, this neglected art form was discovered by Indian scholars as late as the beginning of the 20 th Century. With the rise of Modern Art in Europe and its irreverence towards form and structure, Indian began to take notice of the vibrant motives that had adorned their own walls and courtyard for centuries. The simplicity that the proponents of Modern Art so keenly aspired for was so effortlessly achieved in Indian Folk Painting. Thus, Indian Folk Painting was now recognized for its true artistic value.