designmango-Background and Evolution of Warli Painting

Background and Evolution of Warli Painting

Background

Warli painting is the traditional folk painting of the Warli tribe of the Maharashtra region. The Warli tribe has its origins in the North Sahyadri range in Maharashtra, which includes a number of cities such as Talsari, Dahanu, Mokhara, Jowhar, Vikramgad, and Palghar. Although the style of painting seems to date back to the 10th Century AD, it remained in the form of a ritual art until the 1970s, when an artist from Maharashtra, Jivya Soma Mashe, started to paint for his artistic pursuits on an everyday basis, which led to the art form gaining unprecedented international recognition. 

This recognition inspired a plethora of young artists to follow suit and learn the art form for both their artistic pursuits and commercial purposes. This led Mashe to be recognized as the father of Modern Warli painting. The commercial aspect also paved way for its significant popularity and its integration into the popular culture, despite the original Warli artists still belonging to the tribal regions.

Evolution

Over time, as Warli paintings gained international recognition and gradually began to be accepted and admired all over the world, the materials and style of painting also went through a change. 

Colors: Initially, only the rice paste and earth colors were used for these folk paintings but later on conventional paints were incorporated by artists who were originally not from the Warli tribe as the paintings were sold for artistic decorations and profits.

Paint brushes: From chewed bamboo sticks and wooden sticks, paint brushes began to be used for a finer and more detailed version of the same paintings.

Canvas: Initially, Warli paintings were only done on the mud walls of the huts of the Warli tribesmen. With the increase in popularity, though, new painters started to use normal canvases and other backgrounds for such paintings.

Home Decor: As the Warli paintings and designs depict a traditional Indian outlook and have a rich history behind them, they are used for a lot of home decor products ranging from bedsheets and curtains to pots and vases. 

Textile: The textile and clothing industry has also adapted this exquisite and appealing art form to a variety of clothes ranging from sarees and shirts to bed sheets and pillow covers. 

Kushal Trivedi

I'm a dedicated content writer, blogger, and copywriter with a flare to research new and interesting topics. Ideally, I want to be a poet. Realistically, I wouldn't.