CHENNAI: In a first, Lalit Kala Akademi, Regional Centre Chennai is organising a week-long Tribal, Folk and Traditional Art Conclave in association with DakshinaChitra Museum this weekend. This is a preparatory camp for the Tribal Art National-Level exhibition planned for 2020 in New Delhi. Gita Hudson, curator, DakshinaChitra will be coordinating the camp.
Thirty professional artists from all over India have been invited for this conclave. Most of the artists are from southern states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra. That apart, a few tribal artists from Jharkhand, Andaman, Odisha and Bihar will also feature for a better understanding of their culture and art.
“The criteria for the Tribal Art National Level Exhibition used to be contemporary art, but we have introduced tribal art for the first time to promote these hidden talents,” said M Sovan Kumar, regional secretary-in-charge, Lalit Kala Akademi, Regional Centre Chennai.
Some of the different art forms include Tanjavur paintings, Kurumba tribal art from Nilgiris, Kalamkari from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Cheriyal paintings, Andhra leather puppetry, Chittara paintings from Karnataka, Pata paintings, Sowrai from Jharkand, Chennapatna dolls, Sujani embroidery of Bihar, and Warli painting. People can visit the DakshinaChitra premises to catch a glimpse of the making of these artworks over the weekend.
“This conclave is an initiative by Uttam Pacharne, chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, to give the tribal, folk and traditional artisans from the southern region of India exposure. This platform has been created to bring out their extraordinary skills and creativity through camps and exhibitions. The museum will be a great place for artists to enjoy and learn other diverse forms of art,” he said.
The conclave will be held at DakshinaChitra Museum from November 14 to November 20.
Variety abound
Some of the art forms include Tanjavur paintings, Kurumba tribal art from Nilgiris, Kalamkari from TN and Andhra Pradesh