List of Indian Folk Art - Famous Paintings

Folk arts are artistic expressions rooted in culture that is passed down through the generations. Indian Folk Art is a term that refers to the artwork of people who are not professional artists, such as painters or sculptors, and is often created in isolation. No formal qualification is required to produce Indian Folk Art, and the style of work reflects the culture from which it originates.

Key developments and aspects of Folk Art history include:

• Early Folk Art originated as utilitarian and decorative objects made by peasants, shepherds, and agricultural workers in the medieval period and early Renaissance in Europe. This included embellished furniture, textiles, carvings, ceramicware, etc.
• Different cultures around the world have strong traditions of Folk Art, like Oaxacan wood carvings in Mexico, scrimshaw made by sailors and anglers, Pennsylvania Dutch fraktur drawings, and Native American pottery and textiles, among others.
• In America during the Colonial era, Folk Arts and crafts like quilts, furniture, decoys, and ironwork emerged blending Old World craft with distinct regional style. Later, the Arts & Crafts movement at the turn of the 20th century renewed interest in traditional handmade craft and decorative arts.
• During the early 20th century, self-taught Folk Artists like Grandma Moses became recognized as important American artists nurturing a Folk Art revival. This coincided with growing interest in Americana and American folk culture.
• Contemporary Folk Artists continue age-old craft traditions while also exploring modern subjects and narratives. Genres like visionary art and outsider art illustrate the creativity of untrained artists. Self-taught artists today make traditional and avant-garde Folk Art.

There are dedicated Folk Art museums as it continues as an enduring form of creative expression blending heritage with artistic innovation. Key hubs have formed particularly across the Southern and Northeastern U.S. where Folk Art concentrations run deep.

Gond Art – Madhya Pradesh

• Rendered on walls of houses, and later, on canvas and paper.
• Bright colours from natural pigments (vegetable dyes, charcoal and minerals)
• Subjects include scenes from daily life, stories of legends and mythologies.

Cheriyal Scroll Painting – Telangana

• Rendered on Khadi cotton scrolls: a type of Nakashi art (usually contains bright hues, mostly primary colours, with a predominance of red in the background, for storytelling purposes).
• Uses natural pigments and brush from squirrel hair.
• Subiects are drawn from ancient literary, mythological and folk traditions and in Hindu epics and Puranic stories.
• The main narrative is spiced up with scenes from simple rural life.
• Received Geographical indication (GI) status in 2008.

Kalamkari Art – Andhra Pradesh

• Rendered on cotton fabrics
• Uses pen (kalam) made from pointed bamboo, using colours from natural pigments
• Figures have sharp features and high-level ornamentation.
• Hindu mythology, gods and goddesses are the main themes.
• Kalahasti and Masulipattinam are its main centres.

Kalighat Art – West Bengal (Kolkata)

• Rendered on cloth, canvas or even mill paper.
• Uses bold colours.
• 'Subjects include simplified mythological figures and scenes from daily life and nature.

Madhubani Art (Mithila Art) – Bihar

• Rendered on walls of houses, canvas and cloth
• Uses rice paste, cow dung and colours from natural pigments.
• Subjects include scenes from the Ramayana or Krishna playing with gopis, among other mythological scenes,
• There are five styles: Bharni, Katchni, Tantrik, Godna and Kohbar.

Manjusha Art – Bihar (Bhagalpur region)

• Also called Angika after the Ang Pradesh Mahajanapada
• Rendered on boxes of jute, paper and bamboo
• Uses only three colours - pink, green and yellow
• Subjects include natural scenes and snake motifs which are very common.

Mysore Art – Karnataka

• Rendered on temple walls, later paper.
• Uses muted colours on a base of gesso paste (white lead powder, gambose and glue lending sheen).
• Subjects include Hindu Gods and Goddesses
• Lord Shrinath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is the most notable theme,

Paitkar Art – Jharkhand

• Rendered on paper or palm leaves as scroll paintings.
• Uses soil, glue and colours from natural pigments.
• Subjects involve scenes from daily life, stories of legends, and mythologies. Most common themes explore life after death.

Pattachitra – Odisha

• Rendered on canvas or cloth, earlier done on palm leaves
• Uses deep colours: red, ochre, black and blue from natural.
• Subjects include religious figures (Jagannath), and scenes from religious poems.

Patua Art – West Bengal

• Also called Jhama Patachitra
• Rendered on a vertical scroll
• Uses colours from natural dyes
• Subjects include religious scenes from epics
• Artists involved are mostly Muslim.

Phad Art – Rajasthan

• Rendered on long fabric scrolls, tied to bamboo shafts at the end.
• Uses colours from natural pigments.
• Subjects include local deities and local heroes.

Pichwai Art – Rajasthan

• Rendered on cloth in rich dark colours.
• Uses colours from natural pigments, including gold.
• Subjects include Krishna among other religious figures.
• Used as backdrop for Krishna's idol in the Nathdwara temple (Rajasthan)

Santhal Art – Jharkhand, West Bengal

• Rendered on hand-made paper, sometimes backed by cloth-based canvas
• Bright colours from natural pigments
• Themes are chosen from natural surroundings or from the activities of everyday lives.

Thangka Art – Sikkim, Arunachal Praesh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh

• Rendered on cotton canvas, framed in silk
• Uses colours which signify feelings (gold is birth, red is passion, white is serenity, black is anger, green is consciousness, yellow is compassion)
• Subjects include Buddhist iconography

Warli Art – Maharashtra

• Rendered on walls for ceremonial occasions.
• Uses mud, cow dung and branches for red ochre base. White from rice powder and gum is usually used for the figures,
• Subjects include scenes from community life, with human figures represented with triangles and straight lines.
• Dance performed by men and women in spirals and circles around a musician constitutes another theme.
• Similar to Saura Art among Odisha tribals.

Thanjavur Art – Tamil Nadu

• Rendered on wooden panels, later executed on glass
• Uses rich vibrant colours, with figures encrusted with semi-precious stones, overlaid with gold foils.
• Subjects include religious figures.
• Was a result of the defeat of Thanjavur Nayakas by the Marathas, and the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• Received Geographical Indication (GI} Status in 2007