History of Warli Painting | Warli Tribal Art of India

Warli Painting: Warli painting is a ritualistic folk painting that originates from the Gujarat-Maharashtra border region. It is a tribal art form done primarily by the Adivasi community located in the North Sahyadri Range in western India. This painting and its origin can be traced back to c. 2500 to 3000 BCE. This painting has certain salient features that distinguish it from other folk paintings of the Indian subcontinent. Every symbol and motif in Warli’s paintings has its significance and symbolism.

This article will discuss its features, process, categories, significance, and emerging concepts. Check the History of Warli Painting | Warli Tribal Art of India.

Warli Painting

History of Warli Painting: Warli Tribal Art of India

These paintings mostly resemble prehistoric cave paintings. A majority of the Warli tribes are known to reside near the base of the Sahyadri mountains spread across the northern side of Mumbai, viz., Javhar, Dahanu, Talasari, Mokhada, Wada, and Palghar villages. The Warli culture is centered around the concept of Mother Nature, and elements of nature are often focal points depicted in Warli paintings. Farming is their main way of life and a large source of food for the tribe. They practiced shifting cultivation, moving from one forest to another, and came to inhabit a large stretch of land—from Dangs in southern Gujarat to Thane in northern Maharashtra.

Salient Features and Process of Creating Warli Painting

Warli Tribal Art of India: There are certain salient features associated with this style of painting. Some major features are:

• The paintings are traditionally done on walls by using a basic graphic vocabulary, including triangles, circles, squares, dots, and crooked lines.
• It represents a human or animal; two triangles are joined at their tips, with circles acting as the head. The base is made of a mixture of mud, branches, and cow dung that make a red ochre background.
• For painting, only white pigment is used, which is made of a mixture of gum and rice powder.
• The wall paintings are usually done by women for auspicious occasions like harvests and weddings (non-secular themes).
• Since the Warli tribe lives a simple life, they use various objects such as clay pots, cloth, and the walls of the hut as backdrops for creating paintings.
• This art form is two-dimensional, with no perspective or proportion.
• The most important aspect of the painting is that there is no depiction of mythological characters or images of deities, but mostly the social life of the tribal community.
• The background colors of these paintings are essentially Henna, Indigo, Ochre, Black, Earthy Mud, and Brick Red (Geru).

Categories of Warli Paintings

There are two main types of Warli paintings: ritualistic and non-ritualistic. The ritualistic paintings revolve around figures and symbols that are connected to a sacred deity or a portrayal of unusual male gods. On the other hand, non-ritualistic paintings are done for decorative and entertainment purposes. They typically portray scenes of agriculture, festivals, and other social activities. The secondary motifs and patterns are generally repetitive and symbolic.

Based on the figures depicted in the paintings, commonly seen motifs in traditional Warli art are:

Animals

Animals are prominent motifs in Warli paintings and are portrayed using simple geometric shapes.

Human Figures

Human figures are the central motifs in a Warli painting that depict them engaged in some sort of activity such as fishing, farming, dancing, and hunting. The face or head is drawn by a circle, but the facial features such as the nose, eyes, lips, and ears are not depicted.

Marriage Ceremonies

The marriage ceremony in a Warli painting holds immense significance. The Warli marriage lasts for four or five days, and various rituals are associated with it. There are two types of marriage chowk: lagna chowk and dev chowk.

Fields and Natural Landscape.

Natural landscapes and fields are often depicted with minimal details, such as lines and curves. Leaves are drawn as simple linear strokes attached to the branch of the tree. This painting depicts the fields and natural landscapes in the hamlets.

The Tarpa Dance.

The Tarpa dance is the lively folk dance form of the Warli community and is an integral part of their cultural heritage. Warli artists incorporate simplified stick figures to depict the dynamic poses, steps, and holding of hands to describe the circular formation of the dance. The word “tarpa” is a traditional musical instrument that is played during the dance and is depicted in the painting as a long, cylindrical tube with a flared end.

Significance of Warli Painting.

• The various motifs and attributes associated with each painting are of great significance and value.
• Men and women in spiral form and concentric circular designs in Warli paintings symbolize the circle of life.
• The harmony and balance depicted in these paintings are supposed to signify the harmony and balance of the universe.
• The underlying theme in most Warli paintings is the tribe’s relationship with the land and nature.
• Scenes of farming, harvest, fishing, festivities, and weddings are all placed within the landscape of the north Konkan, complete with the region’s flora and fauna.
• The significance of Warli painting can be seen by how the painting’s motifs reflect the strong ties between the Warli people, who are considered the original inhabitants of the land and the forest.

Modernisation and Evolution of Warli Painting.

The early Warli paintings were done using vegetable colors that were mixed with clay. Then came the use of natural colors like black, white, yellow, and red. From this stage on, they started experimenting with various mediums and materials used in painting, like ink, charcoal, and oil color. With modernization, the objects depicted in such paintings have evolved to include objects like trains, airplanes, rickshaws, etc., and this reflects the versatility of the Warli artists while keeping the traditional art form alive.

Evolving Concepts Behind the Making of Warli Painting

With modernization, traditional concepts are still adhered to, but at the same time, new concepts have been imbibed to blend traditional motifs with modern motifs, which helps artists face new challenges from the market. It was in the 1970s that ritualistic art took a radical turn when an artist named Jivya Soma Mashe and his son Balu Mashe modified and started to paint not for any special ritual but on an everyday basis, depicting life in movement. Jivya is known as the modern father of Warli painting. Since the 1970s, Warli painting has moved onto paper and canvas. Various efforts have been made to strengthen the sustainable economy of Warli through social entrepreneurship.

Conclusion

Warli painting has evolved from tribal art and folk art to its present form, where human figures are also depicted as a part of contemporary Warli paintings. With each of its motifs symbolizing something, Warli painiting was originally traced back to 2500 B.C.E. In the above article, we have provided complete information about its history in depth. Also discover its distinctive features and the newly emerging concepts behind its making.

FAQs on History of Warli Painting | Warli Tribal Art of India

1. Where did the Warli painting originate from?

Warli painting originates from the Gujarat-Maharashtra border region, practiced by the Adivasi community located in the North Sahyadri Range in western India.

2. Who popularized the Warli tribal art form?

Jivya Mashe popularized the Warli tribal art form. He was awarded the Padma Shree Award in 2011 for his efforts.

3. What do the Warli paintings capture?

Warli paintings essentially capture the rich cultural heritage and community spirit of the Warli tribe.