The non-profit Gondwana Art Project spotlights tribal artists who are preserving the cultural legacies of ancient India
Dancing elephants in blue and orange, a lion with its mane in the form of a tree with resting birds… these imageries may seem too fantastical to imagine, but a group of talented tribal artists from India have not only conjured them in their minds, but they have also brought them to life.
Tribal art has existed in India for millennia, but tribal artists don’t always get the spotlight they deserve as artist featured by commercial galleries do. Despite the challenges brought on by poverty—and in some cases: caste-based discrimination—these artists have continued to conquer all odds to create vibrant artwork depicting mythology, nature, abstract concepts as well as their daily lives.
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In support, the Gondwana Art Project, with funding from the Craft and Community Development Foundation (CCDF), a not-for-profit social entity in India started by art enthusiast Sundeep Bhandari in 2008, has been able to empower more artists. The NGO upskills traditional artisans by introducing new concepts and techniques to their practice while retaining the authenticity and cultural ethos of their art.
This year, 15 such tribal artists are being featured at the Gondwana Art Project exhibition, which is taking place from February 7 to 9 at the Visual Arts Gallery of India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, India.