Nature and natural elements have always been the favourite among the works of the artists as they get to explore and enhance the artistic side of their personality through them.
Dr Alka Pande, art historian in association with Tulika Kedia, Director, Must Art Gallery bring together ‘Aranyakas - The Enchanted Landscape’. It is an exhibition of indigenous art curated by Dr Alka Pande herself and it will be held at the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, from January 29.
The Aranyakas are the body of works which were linked to the Brahmanas which were in turn linked to the Vedas. Translated as ‘forest texts’ they are believed to have provided sacred wisdom on either the vanaprastha or ascetic stage of human life, traditionally lived out in the forests. They expound upon the allegorical portions of the texts.
The works form a part of The Kanha Museum of Life and Art at the Singinawa Jungle Lodge at Kanha, M.P, which is a treasure trove of art from the indigenous culture of the Gond, Bhil and the Baiga communities. The art, representative of culture is an allegorical homage to the free spirit of nature mirroring the undulating curves of the forest, and depict the tribal beliefs about birds, the trees, the animals, their values, which often is a form of worshiping nature.
Dr Pande, Art Historian and the curator of the event said: “The tribals have their own animistic beliefs, life, customs and traditions, as a result of acculturation from living in the land of many Gods and their accompanying myths. The art they create is the very core of their essence of life, complete with renditions of the many ‘puranic tales’ and their ‘kula’ devatas. Magic, myths, fertility, abound and what emerges is an enchanted inner world of the indigenous communities.”
Displaying at the show will be master artist Usman Tirandaz, who deftly bridges the two worlds of indigenous art and contemporary urban art, combines naturalistic themes and depictions of flora and fauna, so often prevalent in tribal art with the style of the Mughal miniatures.
Tulika Kedia, Director, Must Art Gallery said, “The Enchanted Landscape is a serious attempt to bring the requisite gravitas and visibility to the beauty and the politics of this art practice. The exhibition will help to expand the scope and scale of the way indigenous and tribal art is perceived both economically as well as culturally.”
A fervent collector and passionate advocate of indigenous art, Tulika Kedia has put together a book Contemporary Expressions: The art of the Jogis.
Folk singers and artists Teju Behan and her husband Ganesh Jogi, on whom the book is based, were first brought into the domain of contemporary Indian art by artist and anthropologist, Gandhian Haku Shah, in the 1980’s. The self-taught artists and their six children have created a language of their art with remarkable pictorial expressions. The book is an absolute must for anyone who is curious about the intuitive documenters of life, community and the essence of Jogi Art.
The Enchanted Landscape is a classic example of how the eco-friendly tribal art, which have an all-encompassing approach to life, holistic ways of living, and reams of oral knowledge, can be presented in an urban format where it becomes a source of self-sufficiency for the tribes and yet their art and practices retain originality and remain embedded in their traditional belief systems. To take this thought forward, Must Art Gallery is a Delhi based gallery which works with indigenous artists is making an attempt to bring city dwellers closer to tribal art by creating interactive elements through the art show and allowing them to win a package holiday to the Singinawa Jungle Lodge, Kanha.
The exhibition catalogue will include a prompt to invite readers to create their own artwork along the theme of indigenous art that they will be able to submit to Must Art Gallery to upload on the social media.
The idea retains nobility of the cause, as it aims to spread awareness about tribal art, thus resonating with the fundamental aim of the Kanha Museum which is sustainability. The winner from all the entries received will be able to engage with Jangarh Singh Shyam’s (pioneering contemporary Indian artist of Indigenous Art ) family in an immersive experience with Tribal Art, at the Singinawa Jungle Lodge.
When: January 29-31
Where: Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre
Timings: 10 AM to 8 PM