A Big Indian Story

An exhibition of original Kalamkari, Gond & Bengal Pattachitra art

Gyaan Adab welcomes you to a journey into the heart of India. A journey that takes you to remote corners of the country, to the home of the gypsies, the nomads – the tribes of India and their traditional arts and crafts. It will amaze you to see the talent that lies in the hands of these folk artisans who are so untouched by civilization yet can touch you through the thoughts behind their paintings, sculpture and craft. A journey of dedication, skill and respect for the age-old arts and crafts.

A Big Indian Story presents an exhibit featuring three beautiful traditional art forms – Kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh, Gond from Madhya Pradesh and the Bengal Pattachitra.

Kalamkari – a century old art form from the villages of Andhra Pradesh, it features intricate paintings created using the ‘Kalam’ a pen made from bamboo fibre. These paintings are made using natural colours extracted from plants. Each painting goes through an elaborate making process starting from preparing the cloth, outlining, dyeing to colour filling.

Gond – The work of Gond artists is rooted in their folk tales and culture, and thus story-telling is a strong element of every painting. The artists use natural colors derived from charcoal, colored soil, plant sap, leaves, and cow dung. This mystical art form is created by putting together dots and lines.

Bengal Pattachitra – Patachitra or scroll painting of rural Bengal are made by the Patuas, a branch of the Chitrakar caste. The Patuas are professional artists who make images and paintings for a living. They are also accomplished singers. The mythical narratives, contemporary tales and folklore painted on scrolls are carried from village to village, and narration is accompanied by folk songs.

Many of these art forms are shrinking and these gifted artist are facing economic hardships due to lack of support and patronage.  A Big Indian Story, as part of their mission, is working towards revival of these art forms by taking their art to a wider audience and ensuring recognition and respectful livelihood for these artisans.  With this, they hope they will be encouraged to pass on their skills to their next generations thus keeping these beautiful arts alive.

Come and enjoy the beauty of these art works and support this mission.

The exhibition will remain on till July 2, 2015

Timings: 10 am to 6.30 pm