Madhubani Manual craftcanvas

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Madhubani Craft Manual

Transcript of Madhubani Manual craftcanvas

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Table of Contents • About Us

• Introduction

• Mythology

• Material Used

• Process of Madhubani Painting

• Styles

• Contemporary Adaptations

• Additional References

• Image Source

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About Us CraftCanvas is a link between rural artisan communities and the urban customer, translating an ages old craft into something that is relevant today. It is based on the idea of contemporizing Indian Handicrafts through a common platform and canvas where stake holders of the craft community like artisans, designers, craft practitioners, etc can come together to create unique products and experiences suited to modern day living. India has a rich handicraft heritage and we owe this to generations of artisans who have blended tradition, religion, social norms and functionality to bring craft where it is today. However, there has been a significant shift in sensibilities of present-day craft patrons thereby highlighting a need for Handicrafts to adapt to these changes. We believe that there is a place for India’s traditional crafts even in the most modern of spaces and this process of evolution is what CraftCanvas facilitates. Handicraft patrons like you can express your requirements ranging from wall murals, soft furnishings, paintings, furniture and lighting among many others. Our team will assist you in transforming their ideas and aesthetic preferences to final products with a high level of artistry. On the other end, we are constantly forming collaborations between the craft and design community through which an interesting blend of experiences and products are developed. Working with designers, traditional artisans are trained to adapt to this new design scenario. For designers, it gives them an opportunity to create solutions that embody the essence of the craft. Subsequently, these innovations are marketed by CraftCanvas through channels like online store, workshops, exhibitions etc. Please feel free to browse through our site for specific information on our various initiatives and we look forward to welcoming you to our world of crafts.

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Introduction Madhubani painting is the form of Mithila painting that is done on paper. Madhubani, which by one account means Forest of Honey, (‘Madhu’honey, ‘Ban’forest or woods) is a region in Mithila, the ancient cultural region that lies between the lower range of the Himalayas and the Ganges river. Half of this region is in present day Nepal, and Janakpur in Nepal is the major hub for the painting. Madhubani district is the Indian counterpart of Janakpur. The original inspiration for Madhubani art emerged from the local women’s inclination to religion and a desire to be one with God. With the belief that painting something divine would achieve that desire, women began to paint pictures of gods and goddesses with an interpretation so divine that captured the hearts of many. There are paintings for each occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, Holi, Surya Shasti, Kali Puja, Upanayanam, Durga Puja etc. Madhubani paintings mostly depict people, their association with nature and the scenes and deities from ancient epics.

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Radha Krishna painted in Madhubani Katchni Style

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Mythology According to local mythology, the origin can be traced to the time of the Ramayana, when King Janaka of Nepal ordered his kingdom to decorate the town for the wedding of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Rama. The ancient tradition of elaborate wall paintings or BhittiChitra in Nepal and Bihar played a major role in the emergence of this new art form. The paintings were originally done on walls coated with mud and cow dung. The kohbharghar or the nuptial chamber was the room in which the paintings were traditionally done. Originally the paintings depicted an assembly of symbolic images of the lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in union. These images represent fertility and proliferation of life. There used to be a tradition that the newly married bride and groom would spend three nights in the kohbarghar without cohabiting. On the fourth night they would consummate the marriage surrounded by the colourful painting.

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Traditional Madhubani motifs of lotus plant and bamboo grove representing fertility

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Materials Used The application is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib pens, and even matchsticks. For filling larger areas in colour, bamboo sticks tied with a ball of cloth at the end is used. For painting, natural dyes and pigments derived from local flora were used traditionally. However, owing to the increase in demand for the painting and the inconsistency in the availability of natural raw materials, the artists have switched to acrylic paints. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud (a mixture of mud, cow dung and hay) walls and floors of huts, but now they are also done on cloth, handmade paper and canvas. As a extension of painting on mud walls, handmade paper is first treated with a coat of cow dung before painting. This coat helps retain colour of the natural dyes for a longer period.

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Process of making colours from local flora and fauna

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Process of Madhubani Painting Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like Tulsi are widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings.

Generally no space is left empty; the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric designs. The process of making the painting goes in following manner.

1. The borders are marked out. This practice is prevalent in many craft

processes and is linked to evolution where humans earmarked territory

2. The central character of the narrative is sketched and elaborated

3. The rest of the remaining spaces are filled with patterns, colours and support

characters of the narrative

4. The borders are further decorated to complete the painting

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Process of making Madhubani Painting

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Styles Madhubani art has five distinctive styles: Bharni, Katchni, Tantrik, Nepali and Godna. In the 1960s Bharni, Kachni and Tantrik style were mainly done by Brahman and Kayastha women, who are considered upper caste in India and Nepal. Their themes were mainly religious, and they depicted Gods and Goddesses in their paintings. People of lower castes and classes included aspects of their daily life and symbols of Gods and Goddesses much more, in their paintings. The Godna or Gobar style is done by the Dalit and Dushadh communities. Of course, nowadays Madhubani has become a globalized art form This has caused the difference in styles of various castes to become less distinct than it may have been before Madhubani received international and national

attention.

Bharni Style Bharni style is mainly done by the Brahmin women. ‘Bharni’ in Hindi means the filling of colour. The women mostly draw the central character(s) and then it is filled up with bright colours.

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Madhubani Bharni style painting

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Katchni Style Katchi style is mainly done by the women from Kayastha community. Katchni style is done using only two or three colours. The spaces are filled up with the line work. There are various textures (designs) which are used to fill up the spaces.

Different border patterns in Katchni Style Different leaf patterns in Katchni Style

Different flower patterns in Katchni Style Different fish patterns in Katchni Style

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Madhubani Katchni style painting

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Godna Style Godna style is locally also known as tattoo style. It is mainly done by Dushadh or Harijan women. A repetition of patterns and figures in geometric manner either circular, rectangular or linear is typical of this style. Tantrik Style Tantric style is believed to be practiced by a very small group of Brahmins who believe in black magic. Highly sacred in nature, these paintings are rarely sold for decorative purposes. Utmost care has to be taken while painting, as even small errors are believed to annul the efficacy of the painting.

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Madhubani Godna style painting

Madhubani Tantrik style painting

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Contemporary Adaptations

A wall mural for an apartment painted both direct-on-wall and on MDF panels in Madhubani style by CraftCanvas

Monochromatic Madhubani wall paper tiles by Jiyo!

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Additional References • http://www.craftcanvas.com/blog • http://www.mithilapaintings-eaf.org/history.html • http://www.dsource.in/resource/madhubani-paintings-of-bihar/index.html • https://www.academia.edu/1777746/Traditional_to_Contemporary_-

_The_Journey_of_Madhubani_Painting_Manish_Jha_and_Others_ • http://peterzirnis.com/ • http://www.mithilapainting.org/mp.html • http://www.ignca.nic.in/kmsh0002.htm

Image Sources • http://www.jiyo.net.in/productDetails.php?pID=36 • http://173.0.130.105/images/Madhubani-Paintings/artworks/M025.jpg • http://www.dsource.in/resource/madhubani-paintings-of-

bihar/products/products-22.html • http://www.bcagalleries.com/images/Madhubani/artworks/M001.jpg • http://www.dsource.in/resource/madhubani-paintings-of-

bihar/products/products-41.html • http://www.artsoftheearthindia.in/gallery/?level=picture&id=1885

A coffee table painted with traditional Madhubani motifs by CraftCanvas

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