When we entered the Shridharani Art Gallery in Triveni Kala Sangam, Mandi House on Wednesday, we were greeted by two bright red sculptures of the human head—one of a man and the other, a woman’s placed on a plinth. Right after gazing in admiration at these goggle-eyed structures that have been created with utmost detail, another set of artworks Warli paintings displayed on one of the walls here caught our attention.
These are a part of Prakrut, a group exhibition that features the works of young tribal artists from various parts of India eight Northeastern states along with Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar ongoing at the gallery till Sunday. Presented by The Raza Foundation and curated by Bhopal-based artist and curator Akhilesh, this exhibition offers a glimpse of the cultural and artistic practices of a few Indian tribal groups. “I focused on parts of Northeast and South particularly because most of the tribal art shown here—in this part of the country—is North Indian. I tried to represent as many states as I could through this exhibition,” mentioned Akhilesh.
Primal yet powerful
Our diverse country is home to more than 700 scheduled tribes and ethnic groups. This exhibition puts at centre stage the works of 19 artists who have used this show as a platform to share snippets of their lives, beliefs, and worldview through a number of artistic mediums such as embroidery, acrylic on canvas, and more. Akhilesh mentions that a thin line separates these artists from their urban counterparts. Sharing the difference between how the two approach art, he said, “Tribal artists do not try to become an artist; they are artists. Urban artists become artists. If you see those who have contributed something to the art field, they have always felt like artists and worked in a similar way.”
Inspired by surroundings
Among the various themes, a few—such as nature—hold prominence in the pieces on display. Santosh Maravi, a Gond artist from Madhya Pradesh has painted images of flora and fauna with utmost detailing and a sense of regard towards the creatures. “An urban artist paints Nag (snake). A tribal artist paints Naag Devta (the snake god),” elaborated Akhilesh sharing how tribal artists tend to “paint their beliefs”. Home is another common theme the artists have explored in varying degrees through this exhibition.
Kamta Prasad from Madhya Pradesh paints routine encounters with the surroundings in his hometown of Bhopal. On the other hand, Tripura-based Mrinmoy Debbarma’s work portrays themes of violence and instability.
Apart from being on display, these works are also available for sale—in an attempt to empower the livelihoods of these artists, the amount obtained from sales goes directly to them. We met Dr Shruti Lakhanpal Tandon at the Gallery on Wednesday. Talking about the show, Tandon concluded, “The link between the tribal artists and the earth is very intense and you can really feel that here.”