Triumphant Rainbow

The art treasures of India are among the greatest in the world. They include 4,000-year old statuettes of lifelike vitality and fine paintings.

The roots of Indian Painting can be traced back to the days of the Indus Valley civilization. The paintings of the Ajanta and Ellora caves exhibit the creative genius of the artists of that period.

Indigenous art is an ancient form of people’s art where rural and tribal communities expressed the same creatively during their weddings, birth, harvest celebrations & religious ceremonies etc. This form of art is clearly present in these 3 different types of Indian Art:

• Madhubani – Bihar
• Madhubani – Bihar
• Gond Art – Madhya Pradesh

Learning about these painting styles gave the students a glimpse into the lives, culture and belief systems of the respective Indian communities.

The main objectives of this activity were:

• To expand the creative thought process of the student
• To imbibe moral values of Indian culture through moral stories
• To understand these styles of art in detail and depth
• To understand the use of natural colours
• To understand the different techniques and forms used in these art styles
• Learn how art is passed on from one generation to the next; one state to another; one country to another
• Enable the students to think, explore and express

The activities undertaken to make students understand the above art styles are as follows:

• Canvas painting
• Wall Painting
• Umbrella Painting
• Bookmarks, Key chains, Book Cover, Lamp Shades, Table mats, Coasters
• Pot Painting
• Fabric painting

The above program had a good impact on the students as they were able to understand the different styles of art that exist in India. Also they were able to appreciate the similarity between India’s Gond art and Australia’s Aboriginal art.