WARLI PAINTING

 Warli painting is a form of tribal art mostly created 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 Palghar district. This tribal art was originated in Maharashtra, where it is still practiced today.

Painting Technique

These rudimentary wall paintings use a set of basic geometric shapes: a circle, a triangle, and a square. These shapes are symbolic of different elements of nature. The circle and the triangle come from their observation of nature. The circle represents the sun and the moon, while the triangle depicts mountains and conical trees. 

In contrast, the square renders to be a human invention, indicating a sacred enclosure or a piece of land. The central motif in each ritual painting is the square, known as the "chauk" or "chaukat", mostly of two types known as Devchauk and Lagnachauk. Inside a Devchauk is usually a depiction of Palaghata, the mother goddess, symbolizing fertility.

HISTORY

If you are curious about warli art then, the warli painting origin is fascinating. The Warli tribe is one of the largest tribes in India, located outside of the city of dreams- Mumbai. Even though they were located close to one of India’s largest cities, the Warli rejected contemporary cultures and lifestyles. 

Warli Painting Information - These paintings seem to be nothing more than Warli figures drawn in whites on rich dark walls to the untrained eye, but a closer inspection shows that Warli is far more than meets the eye. To many, it may seem like just a simple art form of India. Still, the Warli tribes located in mountains and coastal regions in and around Maharashtra and Gujarat's borders are warli painting states. The origin of Warli art can be traced back to around 3000 BC and seems to have an enigmatic appeal to it. Even though the tribal art style dates back to the 10th century A.D., the Warli paintings form was not known until the 1970s. Although the primary way of life and a significant food source for the tribe was farming, they had great respect for nature and wildlife for the resources they provided for life. On various occasions, this type of painting was mainly centred around the concept of mother nature and its elements. Quite often, multiple parts of nature are the focal points that are further accentuated in these paintings. A fascinating fact about Warli artists is that they used their clay huts as the backdrop for their masterpieces, much like how ancient people utilised their cave walls as canvases.