History:
Warli folk art has a rich ancient history. These paintings resemble prehistoric cave paintings, and their origins have been dated back to 2500 to 3000 BCE, as stated in Yashodhara Dalmia’s book “Painted World of the Warli.” The visual resemblance to these cave paintings further adds value to them being prehistoric paintings. The tribe’s coexistence inspires the Warli art with nature and the forest. Though the exact origin of the Warli art paintings is debated, it is still considered one of the oldest paintings in India to have originated in the 10th century AD or before.
Warli painting is a form of tribal art created mainly by the tribal people from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra, India. This range encompasses cities such as Dahanu, Talasari, Jawhar, Palghar, Mokhada, and Vikramgad of the Palghar district. The Warli tribe is one of the largest in India, located outside of Mumbai.
Warli folk art has a rich ancient history. These paintings resemble prehistoric cave paintings, and their origins have been dated back to 2500 to 3000 BCE, as stated in Yashodhara Dalmia’s book “Painted World of the Warli.” The visual resemblance to these cave paintings further adds value to them being prehistoric paintings. The tribe’s coexistence inspires the Warli art with nature and the forest. Though the exact origin of the Warli art paintings is debated, it is still considered one of the oldest paintings in India to have originated in the 10th century AD or before.
Warli painting is a form of tribal art created mainly by the tribal people from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra, India. This range encompasses cities such as Dahanu, Talasari, Jawhar, Palghar, Mokhada, and Vikramgad of the Palghar district. The Warli tribe is one of the largest in India, located outside of Mumbai.
Technique:
Warli paintings are created using a basic graphic vocabulary: a circle, a triangle, and a square. The circle and triangle come from observation of nature, the circle representing the sun and the moon, and the triangle derived from mountains and pointed trees. Only the square obeys a different logic and seems a human invention, indicating a sacred enclosure or a piece of land. The Warli painting technique is simple and involves creating patterns with rice paste on the walls of huts. The rice paste is made by mixing rice flour with water and gum. The paintings are done on an austere mud base. The walls are coated with cow dung mixed with water and then covered with clay and rice straw.
Themes of Warli Paintings:
Warli paintings are usually done in white on mud walls, and the paintings are done only for special occasions such as weddings or harvests. The themes of the Warli paintings usually revolve.
Around nature and social life. Humans and animals, along with scenes from daily life, are created in a loose rhythmic pattern. These patterns are symbolic of religious beliefs, customs, and traditions. The circle represents the sun and the moon, while the triangle is derived from mountains and trees. The square is a human invention and illustrates a sacred enclosure or a piece of land.
Famous Artists
Jivya Soma Mashe is an internationally acclaimed Warli painting artist from India. He was known for his wonderful Warli paintings, which originated from prehistoric rock art. . Born in 1934 in Maharashtra, Jivya Soma Mashe was an Indian artist because of whom the Warli tribal art form became popular. Another famous Warli artist is Avanti Kulkarni, who designed and hand-painted the school’s vision, values, and activities using the Warli culture and themes
Jivya Soma Mashe is an internationally acclaimed Warli painting artist from India. He was known for his wonderful Warli paintings, which originated from prehistoric rock art. . Born in 1934 in Maharashtra, Jivya Soma Mashe was an Indian artist because of whom the Warli tribal art form became popular. Another famous Warli artist is Avanti Kulkarni, who designed and hand-painted the school’s vision, values, and activities using the Warli culture and themes
About the author
Vikram Dogra, MD, Professor of Radiology with interests in Indian paintings. He is also the founder of the Dogra Art Foundation.
