India is home to a number of tribal dwellings spread across various parts. In the tribal areas of the Northern Sahyadri mountain ranges in Maharashtra, lives one of the largest tribes of our diverse country - The Warli Tribe.
With their rich tradition and customs, they take pride in showcasing one of the famous tribal art of India – Warli Painting.
The artwork was given its recognition as heritage in Maharashtra in the early 1970s, although it is believed that its history dates back to 10th Century BC. The reason for this belief being that the elements of Warli Art Painting are quite similar to those of cave paintings found in Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh
Primitive Warli Artwork
In the absence of means to communicate, paintings proved to be a medium to convey folklore. The intricate Warli paintings were mostly drawn by the womenfolk of the Warli Tribe on the clay walls of their huts as a mark of festivity and celebration, depicting their social life and activities.
Coating the first layer of the wall with cow-dung, they then painted a layer of traditional reddish-brown terracotta paste as the base and drew designs using just one colour (usually white). This colour pigment was obtained from powdered rice and gum mixed together.
What Makes Warli Appealing?
The tribe is known to live a simple life that lay its central focus on respecting Mother Nature and Wildlife for providing resources essential to human survival. The Warli designs comprise of specific symbols and patterns unique to its style.
Each painting reveals a distinct story of tribal lifestyle, their rituals and connection to nature.
They portray scenes of day to day activities such as people hunting, farming, dancing, fishing, religious events, celebrations, and performing wedding rituals.
Warli Over Time
The modern time has, however, had its own impact on the artwork. With designers and artists having discovered the art and exposed it to the world, warli art somehow seems to have drifted from the traditional style.
Designers have used the motifs on pots, lampshades, dresses, bedcovers, cushions, and even coasters, crockery, to name a few.
Also, the storytelling part of the art seems to be losing significance as different artists interpret the art as per their own understanding and convenience.
Warli Art in Bhopal
Warli Art has received a wide promotion in the city of Bhopal, where a non-profit organization by the name of Bhopal I-clean took up the initiative of painting the walls of Bhopal city with Warli Artwork.
This was done as part of the city cleaning drive undertaken by volunteers every Sunday morning. Check out their much admirable initiative here.
The same activity was also undertaken in several cities all over the country. This has even, in a way, promoted warli painting on the wall as a fashion integrated to home decor and used by interior designers to build up the ambiance in hotels and restaurants.
Final Thoughts
Tribal Warli Art paintings leave an impact on our minds about the simplicity of life and the significance of the natural surroundings for our existence.
With modernization all around, the art too seems to be losing its traditional touch. In the next article, we will try to revisit this aspect and bring to you the intricacies of making Warli paintings, the motifs, symbols, styles that constitute it.
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