Folk, Tribal and Intuitive art
from India
For the first time in the United Kingdom, the New Art Exchange launches an inspiring and historic exhibition showcasing Folk and Tribal art from India. An(other) Story is the first collective exhibition of its kind in the UK, combining multiple art forms from all over India.
An(other) Story brings together a show of Indian arts and crafts from British collections and new commissions from India. The exhibition explores the diversity of artistic styles and techniques, which have been embraced for centuries throughout India.
Even though artists in India have been practicing their folk and tribal art for centuries, the world at large has come to know about these women and men, and to consider them to be "artists" only in the last fifty years.
The visibility of Indian Folk and Tribal artists within the wider world started with art created by women who lived in villages near the market town of Madhubani / Mithila, Bihar in northern India. What led these women painters to share their work with the world was a major ecological and economic crisis that resulted from a prolonged drought in 1966-68. In order to create a new source of non-agricultural income, the All-India Handicrafts Board encouraged the women artists to produce their traditional paintings on handmade paper for commercial sale. This 'design intervention' has been a major reason for the survival and revival of folk and tribal arts ever since.
Since these early beginnings, Indian folk and tribal artists have exhibited their work at major contemporary art galleries around the world. For example, 'Warli' tribal artist Jivya Soma Mashe exhibited alongside Richard Long in the exhibition 'Dialogue' at the Museum Kunst Palest, Dusseldorf. This exhibition in Nottingham is the first significant exhibition of Folk, Tribal and Intuitive art from India to take place in the UK, bringing together an extensive collection of established artists into one space.
Many of these art works tell stories about social and political events affecting the lives of villagers in India. These diverse yet topical themes include: HIV/AIDS, tsunami, terrorism, and women's healthcare. Traditionally Folk, Tribal and Intuitive art has been produced by women as part of seasonal and religious festivals, often on the walls of their houses.
The sympathetic interest of the Indian government and other cultural organisations brought about a proliferation of work which continues today.
As Mahatma Gandhi said:
"Our people have inherited great talents. Our way of life is imbued with the
sense of beauty. Our women paint on the walls naturally. Our craftsmen know
how to make with their hands everything that we have in India. If we have
faith in them, they can perform miracles."
An(other) Story will explore work that uses narrative to reflect a world that is fast changing and perhaps (might be) disappearing too, allowing the audience to connect with the journey the work has taken and the future ahead, engaging in a story that has not been touched upon in a contemporary British space before.
To complement An(other) Story The New Art Exchange will be exhibiting textiles from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Mezzanine gallery, as well as holding a series of educational workshops, and arts events.