WARLI : A traditional artform going global with awareness
Warli art ,a tribal art mostly created by the tribal people from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra, India has now grown emminently to leave it's mark worldwide.
A form of art depicted social life on walls . Simple geometrical shapes turned smartly into human and animal forms , plants and garden , and the whole set up creating a storyline of how the society worked in the ancient era , it’s roots may be tracing back to as early as the 10th century AD, is what makes Warli painting simple yet unique.
A tradition which originated sometime in the Neolithic period between 2,500 BC and 3,000 BC , has been able to successfully find it’s existence even in 21st Century. A perfect example of Contemporary artform , which found it’s cozy place on walls of cafes and hotels gradually from the painted white on red ochre walls .
Owara, located in the Chandsi area of Nashik, is a standalone restaurant showcases Warli tribal art and culture, native to a part of Mahahrashtra
Maharashtra , a state which resided largest population of adivasis outside Mumbai is the origin of this for of art. A big circular head , 2 little palms, two inverted circles to form the bodyline and a couple of lines to connect hands and legs to the body form. How simpler could it be. It is primarily used for decoration purpose rather than purely aesthetic. And this simple human body formations paint the great walls build as highways and metros. The folk painting has been talk of the town since years ; like they have been always present with us , not just in areas of Maharashtra & Gujarat, but all the way travelling to eastern regions of India such as Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh ,Jharkhand & West Bengal where it is seen more often as part and parcel of day to day life and well recognized in metro cities to across the globe too. Maharashtrian artist Jivya Mashe was awarded the Padma Shri in 2011 for making the art form popular in international circuits. He and his sons are striving hard to keep the art form alive and
Revolving around mother nature , simple line drawings and geometrical structures depicts life under the sun , with fences and garden on the ground , animals grazing the land , fishes quiet visible across the streams and birds flying high in the sky , as if someone sketched out life out on walls. It beautifully represents daily chores of village , like hunting, fishing and farming, irrigation , plantation , dance , play , celebrations , marriages .The artform like it’s elements and colour, potray simple pleasures of life without much fuss. Their art form symbolizes the balance of the universe , togetherness .
Archana Kochhar at New York Fashion Week SS19 , incorporating Tribal Warli art in modern silhouette
Archana Kocchar , a designer who presented an entire collection in New York Fashion Week
encouraged me all the way introducing me to Warli through digital images which I studied at length. Hasna Sal’s glass jewellery accentuated the collection as inspired as the clothing line with Warli art. “The circle, triangle and octagon were very strong in the images, and I converted the circles into ‘globe’ ear rings, the triangle into ‘pyramid’ and ‘diamond’ ear rings. The octagon shape was very powerful in the Warli design and making an octagon into a 3D form was quite the challenge but it turned out to be one of my stellar pieces”, says the designer who made exquisite glass jewellery inspired by the artform.
Warli Art is now registered with a geographical indication as intellectual property. With Social Media taking homegrown artists to global level , these artforms have grown in recognition more. From stationaries to wall hangings , utility products painted in simple artforms to hand embroidered shawls and hand ainted sarees have become a part of homes and wardrobes in recent years.
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