Indian lore is rooted in storytelling, iconography and symbolism that, in grandiose or mundane forms, surrounds us inevitably. From the first known source of communication, take the logosyllabic script and signs found in caves dating back to the Indus Valley civilisation as an example, to eventually evolving into a diverse vocabulary from local traditions, cultures, regions, religions and the environment, these narratives resound the mysterious whys and hows of the complex belief systems and routine practices that are followed till date in the Indian subcontinent. Temporally intersecting, these narratives emulate a sense of magic realism that blur the lines between mythology and history. 

Indigenous art practices in India have also been a deliberate point of entry for postcolonial dialogue and to render a more robust voice in mainstream displays, more recently at the India Art Fair 2022. The booth, Inherited Arts Forum, was curated on these lines to not only preserve some of these art forms but also to contextualise traditional within a contemporary setup. With a handpicked range of paintings, museum-quality textiles and sculptures from the 20th century, the display included anthropomorphic structures of Mukha-linga icons, Bhuta masks, Phulkari textiles, Warli and Madhubani paintings. Interspersed with the knowledge of history and origin of works, the display generated a transparent and egalitarian experience. 

Walls enriched with Madhubani and Warli paintings, both forms traditionally practised by the women of respective communities in their domestic spaces, were a spectacle to behold. The Madhubani style is associated with local myths and legends originated in the Madhubani region of Bihar’s Darbhanga district, also known as the birthplace of Sita, an important figure in the ancient Hindu epic of Ramayana. This style flourished with the depiction of prominent subjects like religion, representation of deities, social events of childbirth and matrimonial ceremonies, and abundance of nature. The artists would procure the paints and tools from nature, like pigment from flowers and brushes from twigs and bamboo sticks and pursue the quintessential robust colour palette, geometric patterns and stylised imagery. The early 1960s saw a massive shift in the trajectory of Madhubani paintings with the introduction of paper and other media in the region as this was the first time that the genre entered the global realm and carved newer avenues for women to venture into the market and make a living from their practice. Some of the artists that came into the limelight included Jagdamba Devi, who received the first Padma Shri for Madhubani paintings, Mahasundari Devi, Ganga Devi, Jamuna Devi as well as Padma Shri Baua Devi, who has shown her work in various countries including Spain, France, Japan and…

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