Over 45 artworks by 12 artists from Gond, Bhil and Warli tribal communities will be on display at the exhibition. The show is an updated and revised version of the exhibition that opened at Bikaner House in Delhi back in January this year, shares co-curator Jas Karan Gupta. “The project hopes to shift the perspective towards traditional art,” he reveals.

Rukh Carrying Amir by Gond artist Rita Shyam

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.76%

AAP 43.10%

INC 24.14%

Submit

View All In Poll

Started as part of the Crafts and Community Development Association (CCDA), Bhandari and the project set out to re-educate the indigenous artists on the nuances of modern art, so as to enable them to expand their view. “These included simple things such as using a softer colour palette or pastels. Many of these artists have never worked in the abstract. We reached out to designers to help mentor them, and to help them to use different mediums. The Warli artists, for instance, created works with indigo-dyed cloth,” the founder shares. Gupta points out that the project also works with Sohrai, Kohvar, Paitkar, Kurumba and Baiga art forms of India.

Mela by Ram Bai

The result is an exhibition that is at once dissonant and beautiful in its medley. There is a focus on storytelling that underlines the artists’ ability to weave modern thoughts with their indigenous skills. Individuality is something the project emphasised on. The presence of a large women contingent of artists also adds to context to the showcase.

“For a long time, there has been an artificial boundary between urban and traditional art. But times are changing. In places like Australia and Africa, indigenous art commands higher price points,” Bhandari explains. The exhibition in Delhi introduced the founder to an interesting observation. “The Bhil artists in India, for instance, create works using only dots and circles — a precursor to pointillism. In fact, even the aboriginal artists in Australia use a similar form and style,” he points out.

Sundeep Bhandari

The similarities don’t end there. “The Australian continent has a Gondwana region as well. It is believed to have formed when the continental plates split. Now, it is a theory; but a remarkable one,” he notes.
With the Mumbai exhibition starting tomorrow, the project hopes to take these works to different cities. Kartik Bhandari, among the curators of the show, adds, “The idea is to create a continued livelihood for these artists while enabling them to access a larger market on the international space. We hope to take these to different cities to showcase the works and evolving styles.”

On:May 7; 5 pm onwards (Preview); May 8 to May 13; 11 am to 7 pm
At: Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda, Fort.