Globalising a tribal art based on geometric forms: Mandana drawings – Rajasthan

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Koshilaya Devi, a 68-year-old artist from Rajasthan’s Baran city has been working hard to preserve and conserve the traditional white chalk on red background Mandana drawings | Read the full story in the Hindustan Times (24 August 2016) >>

A 68-year-old woman from Baran city in Rajasthan has been engaged in preserving and conserving the traditional white chalk on red background Mandana drawings, seen on the walls and floors of rural houses in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. […]

Mandana art work on the walls of Rajasthani mud huts from Shilpgram, Udaipur. (Wikipedia)

Famed for warding off evil and acting as a good luck charm, the tribal paintings are derived from the word ‘Mandan’ referring to decoration and beautification and comprises simple geometric forms like triangles, squares and circles to decorate houses.

“The art is typically passed on from mother to daughter and uses white khariya or chalk solution and geru or red ochre. They use twigs to draw on the floors and walls of their houses, which are first plastered with clay mixed with cowdung,” says Devi.

Other than conserving, the artist is also engaged in globalising the local art.

[…]

According to experts in the Mandana art form, the traditionally drawn designs bear architectural and scientific significance. […]

Source: Mandana paintings: This artist is struggling to keep the tradition alive | art and culture | Hindustan Times
Accessed: 17 February 2018
https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/mandana-paintings-this-artist-is-struggling-to-keep-the-tradition-alive/story-r0EhVTA9VDhzWnI1njoKNO.html

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SHILPGRAM UDAIPUR
Shilpgram – the Rural Arts and Crafts Complex. Shilpgram depict the lifestyles of the folk and tribal people of the West Zone.
Phone: +91-294-2431304
EPABX No: +91-294-2422567, 2523858
Email: [email protected]
Website: Shilpgram.in, Shilpgram.com

One of the important objectives of Shilpgram is in the sphere of increasing awareness and knowledge of rural life and crafts, specifically, for the younger generation. Special emphasis is laid on workshops for children on arts, crafts, theatre and music. | Learn more >>

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