Warli Painting — Art made from geometry

India is a treasure of traditional or culturally diverse art forms. India’s Folk painting is also part of the tradition and has a long history in Indian art. Some of the most famous Indian folk paintings are Warli paintings of Maharashtra, Madhubani of Bihar, Phad Paintings of Rajasthan, Kalamkari of Andhra Pradesh, Aipan of Uttarakhand, Pithora paintings of Gujarat, Gond and Mandala paintings of Madhya Pradesh, and Kalighat paintings of Calcutta, etc. Warli Art is best known and is very different from other Folk and Tribal paintings of India.

While there are no records of the exact origins of this art, its roots may be traced to as early as the 10th century AD. Research suggests that the tribal are the propagators of a tradition that originated in the Neolithic period between 2,500 BC and 3,000 BC.

Artisan making Warli Art on the Wall

The word “Warli” comes from the word “Warla” which means “piece of land”. It is a culture of the Warli Tribe community. Warli Tribe resides in the mountainous and coastal areas of Maharashtra-Gujarat border and surrounding areas. They are living in Javhar, Dahanu, Talasari, Mokhada, Wada and Palghar village. They represent their traditional lifestyle and their customs and traditions through this art of painting. Women are the most important part of the creation of this art. Traditionally it was done on the mud wall of village huts. The wall is made from a mixture of cow dung, branches and earth which make a red orche background for the paintings. Predominately, the tribe used white color made from rice paste and water, with gum as a binder.

Warli Painting with Different Geometric Designs

Warli painting uses geometric designs such as triangle, circle, dots, squares and lines to depict the human figure, house and daily work like hunting, dancing, sowing, harvesting, etc. Marriage is the regular theme of the Warli paintings. The marriage theme Palghat, the marriage god in which one can find a horse, the bride and the groom. Man and Women dancing in circles (tribe tarpa dance), during the various celebrations, is another theme of Warli paintings. The unique aspect of the paintings is that Warli does not depict any mythological characters or images of god or goddess but depicts social life.

Today Warli art has reached a different level than being a simple art. Earlier, it was only used to decorate wall but now the tribe is making paintings on various articles. Now, most of the artists use watercolors on handmade paper or canvas by maintaining the traditional values, style and themes of painting. One can also find Warli paintings on the wall of the government offices or areas. Warli is being used as a motif on Dresses like Tops, Kurtis, Saris, Dupattas, T-shirts and other products of Home textiles like Curtains, Cushion Covers, Pillow covers, Table cloths, Table napkins, Tablemats, Table runners, Bedsheets, file covers, etc. It is also done on accessories like Stoles, Scarfs, Purses, Evening Bags and Wall hangings, Portraits, Trey, Mobile Stand, Fancy Pots and Diaries, etc. Artists have also innovated new motifs like bicycles, auto-rickshaws and roads without changing the symbols.

Warli has received popularity at the International level too because of its simplicity with the use of single color, the requirement of minimum tools and making art by using geometric designs. However, the young generations have better avenues in learning skills and technical knowledge but mostly they have moved out of the village. Only a few less skilled youngsters are pursuing this profession other than laborers. In order to create a source of livelihood and encouraging the artists, Government and different organizations are asking them to produce their paintings on handmade paper for commercial sell. They are also making efforts to strengthening this art and make it sustainable through entrepreneurship.