All about Warli Paintings

Warli Painting on wall(forest scene)

INTRODUCTION  

Maharashtra is known for its warli folk paintings. Warli is the name of the largest tribe found on the northern outskirts of Mumbai, in western India. Despite being in such close proximity of the larget metropolis in India, Warli tribe men shows all influences of modern urbanization.

House of Warli Tribe

ORIGIN     

Warli is the name of the tribe,which resides in Thane district in Maharashtra on the northern outskirts of Mumbai and extends up to the Gujarat borders.The origin of the warlis is yet unkown and no records of this art are found, but many scholars and folklorists believe that it can be traced to as early as the 10th century A.D. This art was eventually rediscovered in the early seventies and became popular for its unique simplicity and fervor for life.

HISTORY

Warli art was first discovered in the early seventies.While there are no records of the exact origins of this art,its roots may be traced to as early as the 10th century A.D.
Paintings created by artists belonging to different tribal societies are vibrant,symbolic and depict all aspects of tribal life.The celebrated warli paintings for example have originated out of the life and rituals of a tribe of the same name residing at the distant corners of the western ghats in Maharashtra.This simple yet vivid painting style is believed to have originated sometime around the 10th century A.D. However, considering its simplicity in form and figure it can be assumed to be dating back to the neolithic period between 2500 B.C to 3000 B.C.

Warli Painting (dance  and amusement scene)

THE TRIBE   

The Warli who are simple and happy in nature also include life around them in their paintings because they express everything they feel and believe in. Very repetitive and highly symbolic,these paintings seems to seek communication with the outside world.It is believed that these paintings invoke powers of the gods.
People,animals and trees form a loose,rhythmic pattern across the entire area/sheet. The result is a light swinging motion that describes the daily routine of the intensely social Warlis.

ABOUT PAINTINGS

These paintings express everyday life using extremely basic object forms and just one color white on a sober mud base.The appeal of these uni color compositions with elementary object forms lies in their lack of pretentiousness in conveying the profound.The core philosophy and social history of a tribal society are conveyed through these tribal paintings in all their humble renderings.Each painting is usually an entire scene that contains various elements of nature including people,animals,trees,hills etc. Decorative patterns inspired by nature are also used.The themes are often repetitive and symbolic in nature. It is a territory mostly dominated by the tribal women.

Usually the warli paintings are done during the marriage ceremony and they call them as 'Lagnache Chitra' meaning wedding paintings.The painting is sacred and without it the marriage cannot take place.Their respect for nature is from the most gigantic to the smallest creature and plant. The figures and traditional motifs are repetitive and highly symbolic.They communicate through their paintings and their life style and passion for nature are depicted with utmost details. Triangular humans and animals with stick like hands and legs, geometrical designs with rows of dots and dashes are drawn on the mud walls of the huts of warlis.

Many of the warli paintings that represents Palghat, the marriage god, often include a horse used by the bride and groom. The horse is symbolic of something that this poor community can ill- afford,the painting is sacred and without it, the marriage cannot take place.Since their discovery two and a half decades ago, these paintings have brought the community much fame and fortune.

PURPOSE

Warli is the vivid expression of daily and social events of the warli tribe of Maharashtra used by them to embellish the walls of village houses.This was the only means of transmitting folklore to a populace not acquainted with the written word. This art form is simple in comparison to the vibrant paintings of Madhubani.

These paintings also serve social and religious aspirations of the local people.It is believed that these paintings invoke powers of god.

SUBJECTS/DESIGNS/PATTERNS

Women are mainly engaged in the creation of these paintings.These paintings do not depict mythological characters or images of deities, but depict social life.Images of human beings and animals along with the scenes from daily life are created in a loose rhythmic pattern. These tribal paintings of Maharashtra are traditionally done in the homes of the warlis. Painted white on mud walls,they are pretty close to prehistoric cave paintings in execution and usually depict scenes of human figures engaged in activities like hunting, dancing, sowing and harvesting.

Marraige Chowkhat

The subject found in these paintings are wedding scenes,various  animals,birds,trees,men,women,children,descriptive harvest scene,group of men dancing around a person playing the music,dancing peacock and many more.One of the famous warli paintings is the marriage 'chowkhat',a painting made at the time of marriage.The warlis women called 'savasini" means married women whose husbands are alive,paint a 'chawk' or a square on the walls of their kitchen.

The warlis do not narrate mythology or any great epic.Simply painted on mud charcoal and cow dung based surface with rice paste for the color white,the art form deals with themes that narrate their social lifestyle and activities.The loose rhythmic movement that each painting suggests add life to the paintings.

The warli paintings first adorned the walls of villages houses before they made the transitions to a much prized art form of today.

Warli women  painting on mud base
 with white powder

PREPARATION OF PAINTINGS AND APPLICATION OF COLORS                                  

Stylistically,they can be recognized by the fact that they are painted on an austere mud base using one color,white with occasional dots in red and yellow.This color is obtained from grounding rice into white powder.This sobriety is offset by the ebullience of their content.

These themes are highly repetitive and symbolic.Many of these paintings that represents 'palghat' the marraige god,often include a horse used by the bride and groom.It is sacred and without it, the marraige cannot take place.

Warli painting on cloth

PRESENT SITUATION  

Today small paintings are also done on cloth and paper,but they look best on the walls or in the form of huge murals that bring out the vast and magical world of the warlis.For the warlis,tradition is still adhered to but at the same time new ideas have been allowed to seep in which helps them face new challenges from the market.

Warli painting Products

MODERNIZATION  

In it is rare to see a straight line.A series of dots and dashes make one line.The artists have recently started to draw straight lines.These days,even men have taken to painting and they are then done on paper incorporating traditional decorative warli motifs with modern elements such as the bicycle etc. Warli paintings on paper have become very popular and are now sold all over India.Now a days, these paintings are also made upon garments like kurtis,T shirts, sarees and other home decor products like vases,pen stands,

Warli painting products

lamp shades,clocks,photo frames,wooden trays,
napkin holders,crockery,umbrellas other wall decor products,murals etc.And newer experiments are going on to uplift the art to new avenues.