Patachitra, a folk art that originated in the temple premises of Jagannath Puri in Orissa mainly narrated the story of the Lord Jagannath. The colourful art known for its intricacy is also highly detailed. And one of the most interesting facets of this art is that for the Patachitra artists one of their greatest treasures is a mouse.
No kidding. Their art work sometimes gets so minute that they need a paint brush which is as thin as a mouse’s hair to paint the miniscule sized figures and shapes. Confirms artist Pranab Das, “Unlike everybody we just don’t dismiss a dead rat. We usually are in a habit of taking off its hair to use it as our paint brush!”
Folk art in our country is usually practiced by artist families and these are the families that have been creating this art for generations. Another Patachitra artist Dilip Kumar Maharana narrates his story, “After my father’s death I took to practicing this art and I wish that my son will also do so. We consider it a privilege to serve God through our creativity.” He adds, “I am glad that Patachitra is no longer only restricted to temple art but instead many people are putting them up in their living rooms.”
The age-old subjects of the art form like Mahabharata and Ramayana and Krishnaleela still hold importance but the themes of the works are changing. “It’s important to adapt with the current tastes and sensibilities,” explains master artist Rabindra Nath Sahu. He continues, “People in Mumbai want something different and hence I have worked on varied themes. One such is the classification of 64 Indian arts mentioned in the Kama Sutra. I have also translated Geet Govind (poem written by Jayadev on Radha Krishna) in imagery.”
The most intricate and expensive art work at Jamaat Art Gallery created by Pranab Das is worth Rs3 lakh. He says, “It took me three years to create this work. And if you want to look at every aspect, a viewer might just take two years to completely to see the details!”
Catch the ongoing Patachitra exhibition at Jamaat Art Gallery, Colaba till December 2. For those keen on understanding more about this folk art, there will be a workshop conducted on November 28 (Rs 500).
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