This Article First Appeared In architectural digest On Jan 1, 2023
There were artists even before there was an art world. They left their mark inside caves, and on the walls and floors of the huts they lived in, often in the form of drawings and paintings. Although made using the most elementary tools, such as twigs, brushes, natural dyes, and colours, their confident creations continue to act as clues to who we really are.
There is no one story of Indian folk art. Be it the canvas-filling geometric shapes of ancient Warli art from Maharashtra, the dizzying dashes and dots of Gond and Bhil art from central India, or the playful yet precise paintings of Madhubani and Kalighat art from the east, each form has its own deep history and vocabulary, despite the many interactions and interconnections.