Address:
ZILHA KRIDA SANKUL, NANDURBAR, NANDURBAR ,MAHARASHTRA - 425412
About type of art
Name of Tribal Paintings- Warli Painting
Name of Trib e-Varli
Art Form - Warli painting
Materials Used -
Warli paintings are found on the walls inside the houses belonging to people of warli tribe on either side of the door and on the outer walls of the huts. The walls of the Warli houses are made of bamboo sticks and strips. They are covered with coats of clay and cowdung. After the walls are levelled, Warli women paint pictures on them.
These paintings are made by small thin sticks dipped in white colour made from rice powder. Natural colours, made from resources immediately available around them, are used in tribal paintings. Warlis have recently started painting in water colours and oils on paper and canvas.
Warli paintings have become quite known in recent times. The Warli painter, Mr. Jiva Soma Mhase, is the recipient of the President Award and has visited England, France, Germany, Norway etc. Warli painting has transcended its cultural boundaries and gained widespread recognition on the global art stage.
Subject Matter-
This Warli tribe lives mainly in the coastal area of Maharashtra State. Warlis are found in Jawhar, Vikramgad, Mokhada, Dahanu and Talasari talukas of the northern Palghar district, parts of Nashik and Dhule as well as Navapur taluka of Nandurbar of Maharashtra.
Wall paintings painted during a marriage ceremony are called Devchowk. The process of painting Devchowk is called Devchowk Lihine (Writing a Devchowk). They are painted by married women only. Other women and girls paint pictures outside these Devchowks.
The ceremonial paintings are called the Pachwis. Pachwis are painted in abundance during Diwali and Nag Panchami festivals.
Devchowks are related to holy wedlock. Hence, pictures of gods and goddesses dominate these paintings. Unlike Devchowks, the paintings of Pachvi have no particular subject. The subjects may vary from human emotions, social feelings, to nature etc. Tribals believe that life exists in everything. They feel that painting a picture is like creating a life.
Symbolic Meanings-
The Social life of the community is documented using circle, square, triangle and short wall. Paintings often surround the themes of fishes, trees, hunting, dances and animals.
The essence of tribal paintings lies in their expression through simple lines. But it is possible that a symbol could be used in another painting in a totally different context. The tribal paintings are not bound by the rules of art and aesthetics commonly accepted by us.