Why I love Folk Art.....(1)

One of the very first trysts that I had with folk art was through Jamini Roy's paintings.....I don't need to say anything about his work....he is an astoundingly brilliant and inimitable artist....I'm just lucky that his legacy is there to inspire countless artists and art lovers across the globe.

His signature style of art was initially a statement of protest against the Bengal School of Art, whose artists largely pandered to the demands of the ruling British during that time. He was heavily influenced by the basic two dimensional line drawings with the use of 2-3 flat colors which constituted the Kalighat pat paintings, which artisans of Bengal have been practicing since generations.

With that technique in mind, he went on to create some truely memorable pieces of art for which his name will forever be remembered....

 woman with a child

 cat with lobster

 the horse

 daughter-in-law

three women

It is truely remarkable how beautiful his depictions of common folk life are. Women and men, dancing, working, provide insight into the rural way of life.

He even borrowed themes from the Indian epics, recreating scenes frm the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.

 Sita going through the " Agnipareeksha"

 Durga on a Horse

 Krishna stealing butter

Rama, Sita and Lakshmana on exile

Alpanas, the traditional patterns made on patches of mud caked floors using a paste of rice flour also influenced a few of his works.

One of his works was featured on a limited edition Indian postage stamp.

And his art continues to be featured in different forms.

A genius .......Jamini Ray.......