THE INDIAN TRADITIONAL ART FORM OF PICHWAI PAINTINGS
Pichvai
paintings are one of the most ancient forms of magnificent Indian traditional art.
Pichvai paintings having other than artistic appeals to them are an artistical
representation of narrating tales of Krishna through an art form.
Pichvai tradition and beyond is Ms. Pooja Singhal’s initiative to revive the
art form by playing with scale and fabric that best fit the modern world of Indian
traditional art. Pichvai paintings can be painted, embroidered, printed
or woven in applique. In the earlier days, the art of Pichwai was done on
loose, rough, hand spun fabric and painted in permanent natural colors that
were extracted from vegetables and minerals and that don’t tend to fade with
time.
The paintings have dark hued outlines and the filling for the picture is
done using lighter soft tones. On a starched cloth, the painter first makes a
rough sketch and then fills in the colours.
In
olden days colors sourced from natural resources were used along with brushes
made of horse, goat or squirrel hair were used. In today’s time people have
replaced these with faster and less materials. However,
an art lover can still find several paintings done using only natural colours.
The use of pure gold in the paintings is perceived to add more value and charm
to the whole painting.
It takes around 3 to 4 days to prepare the color using
pure gold as a resource. A Pichwai painting for the temple backdrop can take
from a few weeks to months to prepare. Wealthy families commission paintings
for the temple.
The Indian traditional art form of pichvai paintings are made for different
occasions, different seasons, festivals, and so on. The paintings from summer
usually have pink lotuses in the summer whereas the paintings for Sharad
Purnima depicting a night scene are showcased showing the bright full moon.
Some
popular themes depicted in pichwai paintings are Raas Leela, Holi, Annakut
(Govardhan Puja), that are shown in their relevant occassions At times rich
embroidery or appliqué work is used on the paintings. Enclosed in a dark
border, rich colours like red, green, yellow, white and black are used, with a
lot of gold decorating the figures.
Pichvai Tradition and beyond is an initiative to revive the traditional indian
art form of painting. Pichvai tradition and beyond’s
initiative has reimagined and reworked the layered historical styles and
influences in newer scales, formats and themes for a wider audience.
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