Maharashtra on her canvas

Artist Pratibha Wagh is on a roll. After her paintings were officially selected by the Maharashtra division of Indian Tourism and Cultural Department to represent the dying art forms in the state, Pratibha is all ready with a new exhibition to showcase her paintings from the same series and raise awareness among Mumbaikars.

For the series, Pratibha has won a fellowship from the Tourism government, to depict the dying art of Chitrakathi on mixed medium and canvas.Her paintings at present have been displayed at the Government owned house boats that host foreign tourists in the Konkan belt and will also be included in several other projects initiated by the government towards attracting tourists to the state. 

According to the artist, Chitrakathi painting is a traditional artform that was found in the form of temple frescoes and also found depiction in pothis, scrolls and patuas. This art form was traditionally used as a story-telling medium often to recite the epics, especially The Ramayana and The Mahabharata.

As a part of her collaboration with the Tourism Department, Pratibha conducted several reccees of districts of Sindudurga, Damapur, forts like the Vijaydurga and the Konkan belt of Tarkarly to talk to the traditional atists of Chitrakathi who reside their. What she tells us is quite alarming. She says, “I was shocked to see that this traditional artform has no takers today. The artists’ families who were involved in this particular art form are in the brink of becoming extinct. Those who are remaining do not know about the modern usage of art. They are only interested in commercial success, and not interested about nurturing their indigenous practices of art.”

In the series of 32 art works Pratibha is showing for her current exhibition, she has made a few experimentations with the usual style of Chitrakathi. She says, “I have experimented with more colours, as I wanted to stay away from the traditional forms of
Chitrakathi that I had done for the Tourism Government.”

Each of these paintings depict certain specifics about the traditional Marathi society. She continues to explain: “You will see female forms wearing the traditional nine yard saree, sporting vintage and rare jewellery like ornamental bindis and nathnis.”

The collection of paintings will be on display at the Sejal Encasa art gallery from January 20, 2009.