Life captured in a jar
Details
Artform
Traditional Bhil Art, Madhya Pradesh
Artist
Bhuri Bai
Dimensions
36 x 24 In.
Medium
Acrylic on Handmade Sheet
Framing
Unframed
Learn More
The Painting
Bhil art carries with it the philosophy of an entire people. This perspective of the world filters into the style of painting as well as the topic that the work conveys. This is very apparent in this exquisite monochrome painting by Bhuri Bai. In this painting, the artist has created a jar containing an entire ecosystem through varying hues of teal paint. Using a traditional Bhil style, the entire composition is constructed through dense layers of swirling lines. Within the jar we can see birds and what we can assume are clouds that form a circling shape the mirrors the circle of life itself.
The Artform
"Bhil art, a captivating tribal art form from central India, boasts a rich history deeply connected to the Bhil people's way of life. Traditionally adorning mud walls and shrines, these paintings expressed their beliefs and connection to nature through a simple style. Bold outlines, flat perspectives, and a limited palette of natural colors depict animals, symbolic of the natural world, and scenes from daily life or mythology. The use of dots, in vibrant colors distinct from Gond art, adds texture and depth to these narratives, offering a glimpse into Bhil traditions and customs. In recent times, Bhil art has expanded beyond walls, finding expression on cloth, paper, and other surfaces, captivating a wider audience and preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Bhil people. "
The Artist
Born in 1968, Bhuri Bai made her first wall painting at the age of ten in her village in the district of Jhabua, which lies on the border between Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. After moving to Bhopal to find work she met Jagdish Swaminathan, artist, theoretician, and co-founder of Bharat Bhavan, who became her mentor. Bhuri Bai is the first woman in her tribe to paint on paper and canvas. She paints composition of fields in bright colors like paper cut-outs, sprinkled with colored dots. Her subjects highlight humorous conflicts between man vs nature as well as that of ravaged lands, and domestic and wild environments interspersed together. Bhuri Bai has participated in many exhibitions, including Freedom at the Cima Gallery in Calcutta in 2008, Now That The Trees Have Spoken at the Pundole Gallery in Mumbai in 2009, and Other Masters of India at the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris in 2010. One of her paintings was auctioned at Sotheby’s New York in 2007. She was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honor in 2021.
Provenance
The painting has been created by Bridge Bharat’s master artist partners.
Customizations
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Other details
"The price you see is for an unframed painting. If you want us to custom frame the artwork, please drop us a message. We highly encourage this, framing is an art by itself :) The artwork you will receive is as close to the original artwork as possible but as with all things handmade, there may be minute differences in color and motifs, truly rendering each artwork one of a kind. Trust the process! "