Indian art comes home

In 2001 while at an artist residency at Mithila Museum in the Niigata Prefecture in Japan contemporary Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam from Madhya Pradesh hanged himself without leaving a note Shyam was working on a salary of Rs 12000 a month for the museum a sum paid for his works that were sold at a much higher rate Had Shyam been alive today it would have been a proud moment for the genius as one of his untitled pieces was sold for Rs 835 lakh at Saffronarts Living Traditions Folk and Tribal Art auction in March 2016Jangarh Singh ShyamLike Shyam whose monumental work led to the creation of a new school of Indian art called the Jangarh Kalam works of several other traditional Indian artists are now commanding lakhs Yet it remains lower in comparison with the crores quoted for works by contemporary artistsAn untitled acrylic on canvas by Shyam Pic CourtesysaffronartOver the last three years we have seen a steady rise in the buyer base for folk and tribal art Although the level of interest and awareness was much higher internationally due to institutional collections and museum shows We now find that an increasing number of Indian collectors are coming forward There is a strong interest in folk bronzes from South India which include the Bhuta traditions and masks used in performative ritualsMadhubani painting in the Krishna Gallery in CSMVS PicAtul KambleThe first generation of Madhubani painters is highly coveted mdash they had an overseas market and are rarely found in Indian collections Women artists in particular such as Bauwa Devi and Sita Devi untitled piece sold for Rs 9lakh in their April auction are considered masters of this style says Minal Vazirani cofounder and president SaffronartRitual mirror KarnatakaKerala circa 20th century bronze Pics CourtesysaffronartWhen you step into the Krishna Art Gallery at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVS a 19th century Nathdwara artwork is the centre of attention Also on display is a newly commissioned Madhubani painting Other museums have stopped collecting pieces beyond the 19th century but artists continue to practise their traditional arts says Vandana Prapanna senior curator Miniature Paintings CSMVSBoar KarnatakaKerala 19th centuryIf we dont collect them we will lose a part of history after 100 years So we are still collecting works of such artists she elaborates The museum also commissions pieces to fill the gaps in its exhibits An important reason for buying folk art is patronage We need to encourage artists to continue their practice she sums upA Tree of Life roghan artwork from Kutch During his visit to India in 2014 former President of the US Barack Obama was gifted roghan works by PM Narendra ModiBasic rulesRadhi Parekh founder ARTISANSrsquoSmooth transitionSeveral folk artists practised art for themselves and some forms werenrsquot mobile So there has been a transition of medium such as pattachitra on tussar from palm leaf This transition should not be marketconsciousAuthencityWe should not only see how authentic the artist is to the visual language of their art but also to oneself and their contextOriginal processesCheck if the artist is using original methods and natural colours If there arenrsquot any original methods for instance the Jogis were given a Rotring pen to use by artist Haku Shah the individual perspective of their context is importantA modern approachYou will notice trains in the Shekhawati wall paintings of Rajasthan which date from 1830 to rsquo70s It was when trains first arrived in India Itrsquos important for artists to reflect what they see around them Living arts shouldnrsquot be fossilised Like Santosh Kumar Dasrsquo Mithila Radha Krishna paintings reflected romantic Bollywood songs However this does not work when an agent asks them to just execute it in an inorganic wayAnatomyAnatomy and the sense of composition is important Different schools have different rules Pattachitra follows the Natya Shastra where the proportions delineate in the Shastra For Pichwais there is an understanding of the proportions of Shrinathji or shringar This may not apply to stylised or abstract art forms such as Warli or BhilRadhi Parekh founder ARTISANSrsquoCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates