MUMBAI: Jivya Soma Mashe, the tribal artist who popularized Warli paintings world over, died at the age of 84 at his residence in Ganjad village near Dahanu, about 150 km Northwards of Mumbai, on Tuesday morning.
Mashe was honored with Padmashree for his contribution to popularization of the tribal art.
In the Warli community of Thane district, to which Mashe belonged, only married women used to draw beautiful paintings on the occasion of marriages. At the age of 13 Jivya decided to break the tradition and started making the paintings himself. He opened up various dance forms of his Warli community, their musical instruments like Tarpa and customs like marriages to the world through his paintings and continued to do so for past 66 years.
He came to limelight in 1975 during special search efforts of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to find out hidden talent amongst the tribles to present the art before the world. Mashe reached Delhi with his paintings, where he was honored with President’s medal in 1976. Thereafter he toured various parts of the world exhibiting his paintings at the art galleries world over. By the time he had added the local flora and fauna to the traditional paintings of the Warli community. He also led several workshops. Both of his sons too are experts in the art, one of whom travels to Japan to teach the art form to at workshops for three months every year.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao expressed deep condolences over Mashe’s death.