Bihar is well known for its culture and artistic traditions. One of its most loved creations is Madhubani art which first started in the Mithila region of Bihar. In the beginning, this art was only restricted to ritualistic spaces in ancient villages. However, it is proved that this traditional and wonderful art is equally loved by contemporary artists who showcase it in their modern homes. These paintings prove that modern representations of madhubani art are in demand. The colors are always made from vegetable dyes which deeply increases the longevity of the painting.
How Madhubani Art Evolved
At first, as mentioned, these paintings were originally were made on mud walls as a temporary expression of art but now they have evolved into permanent canvas art pieces. There was a great drought in Bihar during the 1960’s. That is why village women were encouraged to sell their art and that is when Madhubani paintings became popular worldwide. Nowadays artisans even draw madhubani paintings on home décor items like cups and pencil jars.
You can recognize madhubani paintings by a number of features. At first, they will have thick black outlines. It is not a form of art that comprises of pastel colors; it is an art that has such vibrant hues that will be attractive to all. These paintings also have a great amount of richness as they depict the traditional stories of India, imbibed in the era of mythology. Some people even call Madhubani art as visually arresting.
Before brushes did not exist, women from villages used matchsticks to paint. Before painting, a layer of gobar or cow dung was added to the rural huts in order to provide a smooth surface for the paintings. The village women used haldi for yellow, indigo for the colour blue and soot or kajal to obtain the deep black color.
Modern Changes
As time passed, the spirit of Madhubani art remained but it evolved to suit the likes of contemporary trends and became even more unique.
Madhubani art is very adaptable in nature.
Most commonly they are hung on the walls of modern homes with the help of a framed panel so that it occupies a focal point of the house. Due to modernization of Madhubani paintings, people do not put several madhubani paintings in a single room to avoid an excessive amount of brightness. Some modernists even prefer a small painting with detailing as compared to a painting that takes up a lot of space. They pair the painting with contrasting pillow covers on the sofa. People often put them in rooms with huge ceilings so that it gives an old, colonial touch mixed with Indian traditions.
Modernists also showcase madhubani art on cushion covers of a bed. For example, the pillow cover can have colorful peacock motifs while the bedsheet will be plain white which will make the art stand out without seeming overwhelming.
Other than that, people make use of thin or sleek frames so that these paintings match the contemporary display styles and they often colour coordinate the madhubani palettes with a still yellow light lamp so that it looks majestic at night.
Ethics and How to Buy
If you are planning to buy madhubani art, you should truly consider purchasing from credible sources so that you may support artist cooperatives and galleries that provide a fair amount of compensation to the artists. On the other hand, a lion showcases Durga Mata and it would be a great idea to purchase that during the festival of Navratri. It would be wise to choose such a theme that narrates a story in your room.
Author
Shreeja Mukherjee