ART AND FILM APPRECIATION Demystifying the Madhubani An art form that spans generations. 01 Introduction 02 Style and Design 03 Madhubani Artists 04 Contemporary Times 05 Significance Introduction It's beautiful how two dimensional imagery can depict the reality of lives and form deep connections with mankind. Such is the Indian art form of Madhubani that has survived generations and still continues to awe people through its simplicity. ●The term Madhubani means "honey forest". ●Madhubani painting is a traditional fashion of painting also known as Mithila painting named after the Mithila region, in the villages of Jitwarpur and Ranti, near the city of Madhubani in the state of Bihar. ●showcase the psychology of the society to which it belongs. However, it also reflects the morals,values and customs of the region. ●Madhubani paintings are Characterized by complex geometrical patterns filling the entire background. ●They have characteristic facial forms with fish shaped eyes and pointed noses. ●Usually has a double lined border. ●Uses fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, matchsticks . ●Colors used are derived from the plants and natural sources. ● Predominantly made by the women of the mithila region. History ●The history of Madhubani paintings can be traced back to the time of the Hindu epic Ramayana when King Janaka, (the ruler of Mithila Kingdom in the 8th or 7th century BCE) had asked his painters to create Madhubani paintings in order to capture the moments of his daughter Sita's wedding to Prince Rama. Mithila painting was discovered and brought into the light to the outside world in 1934 when a massive earthquake hit Bihar. ● ●The British Colonial officer of the Madhubani district, William G. Archer chanced upon these paintings on the interior walls of the homes while he was examining the damage caused by the earthquake. ●The knowledge was passed down from generation to generation and the paintings began to adorn the houses of the region. The women of the village practised these paintings on the walls of their respective homes. ●Their paintings often illustrated their thoughts, hopes and dreams. ●Madhubani paintings became a part of festivals and other special occasions like weddings. ●Traditionally, Madhubani paintings were made by hand on a plastered wall or on a mud wall, but now the commercial demand is bringing them to paper, canvas and clothes. Style and Design The Highlight of Madhubani paintings The wall surfaces are prepared by plastering with cow dung or first white-washed on which paintings are made. The paints were previously prepared but now they are procured from villages from the market town of Madhubani, Purnea with the supply coming from Kolkata. The colours used are gulabi, nila, sindura, sugapankhi (green). Originally black was made from burnt barley seeds, yellow from turmeric, or chuna (lime) mixed with milk from banyan leaf, orange from palash flower, red from the juice of the kusuma flower and green from bel leaves. Methods How Madhubani Comes to Life The colors are often prepared by the artists themselves. If the artists come across empty spaces even after completing the painting, they usually fill up those empty spaces with the motifs of flowers, animals, birds and geometrical patterns. A double line is usually drawn as the border. As a form of heightened expression, Madhubani is a rather special form of art. The folk paintings of Mithila region are made on walls; the murals are what is commonly understood as Madhubani painting. These paintings are also known for their simplicity, for the brush and colors used are often derived from natural sources. While the paintings are largely made using powdered rice, colors derived from turmeric, pollen, pigments, indigo, various flowers, sandalwood, and leaves of various plants and trees. Themes in the Madhubani Religious The choice of colours and subject matter depicts the finesse with which these artists perform this complicated task. Social Folk art is such a form of art which is associated to common man. This art is related to a particular society, caste and religion. This form of painting is practiced as a ritual. Nature The study of Folk art establishes a deep relationship between art and culture other than the aesthetic deliberation. Due to their style and technique they gained immense fame and recognition in the world. Notable Madhubani Artists Feminist paintings 1.Sita Devi Sita Devi was a pioneering Madhubani artist, who exhibited the nature and influence of the arts in the socio-political development of an underdeveloped region in rural India. She brought the bharni form out of homes and showcased it in public, both in India and abroad. Her work was officially recognized by the Government of India in 1981 and she was awarded the Padma Shri. 2.Mahasundari Devi It was in 1961 when Mahasundari Devi shed her purdah (veil) and picked up the brush to practice Madhubani which further inspired future generations to empower themselves. She was the founder of Mithila Hastashilp Kalakar Audyogki Sahyog Samiti, that aimed at supporting the growth and development of art and artists. 3. Malvika Raj While Madhubani art still retains the traditional practice of illustrating scenes from Hindu mythology, Malvika Raj, a Dalit woman artist from Samastipur, Bihar has been subverting the genre by illustrating folklore surrounding Buddha’s epoch. However, her idea of representing her narrative through Madhubani art has not been met with complete support from the mainstream community, as she recalls being harassed for shifting from the traditional depiction of Hindu mythology in art. 4.Pushpa Kumari Born in 1969 and brought up under the guidance of her prolific grandmother Mahasunderi Devi, Pushpa Kumari illustrates social issues through a spiritual perspective. The oneness that she views the world with and the emotional intensity of her approach towards social issues like HIV, female foeticide or even mythology differentiate her from her artist counterparts. 5.Mahalaxmi The legacy of these Madhubani artists is carried further with the rise of a generation that wishes to illustrate the issues close to their personal narratives, that are influenced by their gender. Mahalaxmi is one of the numerous young artists who wish to use this art form to set a discourse around problems such as street harassment and education. Contemporary Times In Contemporary Times Madhubani art is an important part of the life of people in a village called Ranti in present day Bihar. These globally famous paintings were first brought into international spotlight in 1962 CE, when a foreign artist traveling through this town was attracted by the murals. He persuaded women to paint those same drawings on paper, so that he could take them and show them in his country. ·Madhubani paintings continue to primarily depict the nature and the Hindu mythological figures and the themes are generally associated with Hindu deities, fish, birds, animals, natural objects like the sun, moon and religious plants like Tulsi (a sacred plant in Hindu mythology) or Banyan tree. Central objects of the artwork, scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings are also widely painted. Madhubani Paintings have traditionally two forms: Bhittichitra (paintings made on a mud-wall) and Aripana (on the ground-soil). In Contemporary Times Finding out the artistic excellence of these paintings in the 1960s CE, some government officials took the initiative to popularise the art in order to uplift their financial earnings. With the recent initiatives taken by the local government, NGOs and cultural organisations, the Madhubani art has been brought to an even greater level of popularity and recognition. In the field of fashion, many designers have launched Madhubani designs collection such as traditional outfits (Stoles, Sarees, Salwar kameez, long skirts, etc.) which are beautifully designed in Madhubani art. Many other day-to-day useable products like pen-cases, bags, diaries, etc. are painted in Mithila art and are very popular. In Contemporary Times With special-interest tourism growing fast and being a highly lucrative alternative to traditional mass-market travel. Madhubani paintings of the Mithila region have great potential along with the other cultural resources of the region to attract foreign tourists. Art-loving tourists from across the world have taken a keen interest in the rural tourism and heritage of India and Madhubani paintings have scaled new heights beyond the boundaries of Mithila. Madhubani painting enjoys an international popularity, especially in countries like Japan, Germany, France and the USA. The Mithila Museum in Tokamachi, Japan, founded by a famous Madhubani art lover, Hashegawa exhibits around 1000 Madhubani paintings of various themes and styles. In Contemporary Times The women who practice this art form in the village use it as an opportunity to create awareness on social issues and to empower women. These women aim to empower other women through painting and creating awareness on issues like education and eve-teasing. They are encouraging their students to paint on topics that are closer to their hearts – anything from folk tales they might have heard during their childhood to the status of women in society today. Madhubani and its significance Madhubani beyond paintings •In 2012, more than 100 trees were decorated using Madhubani painting by Shashthi Nath Jha, who runs an NGO Gram Vikas Parishad, and started the initiative in an attempt to protect trees that were being cut down in the name of expanding roads and development. •This method proved to be an effective way to make the villagers aware of its consequences like climate change and global warming. • The important thing is that not a single tree was cut down. • The main reason behind this was the trees being adorned with forms of gods and other religious and spiritual symbols like Radha-Krishna, Rama-Sita, scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata and other mythologies. • This instilled reverence and prevented the trees from being cut. In this way, Madhubani beyond paintings became an instrument against deforestation. •In the 1960s when drought-hit Bihar, the All India Handicrafts Board encouraged women in villages around Madhubani town to make ritualistic paintings on paper to generate income. •Slowly the style of painting found its way onto many articles from greeting cards to salwar kameez materials Madhubani stole Madhubani paintings in accessories and apparels Thank you for your time! Feel free to reach out to us for any questions or concerns.
