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Warli Paintings. Indian Tribal Art. Unique Collectible
and Gift for All Occasions. Nestled at the foot of the
Western Ghats in Maharashtra, India, is the settlement
of an ancient tribe known as the Warlis. These tribal
people, who survive on forest produce and worship
nature, have carved an international niche for
themselves by virtue of their artistry. What originated
as a domestic ritual of ceremonial beautification is now
revered as a folk art of immense value. Artist and
scholars believe the painting style to have originated
sometime during the tenth century AD.
Warli paintings express everyday life using extremely
basic object forms and just one color - white - on a
simple mud base. The painting style is close to
pre-historic cave paintings. It breaks the barrier of
three-dimensional rendering and the objects seldom
overlap. The core philosophy and social history of a
tribal society are conveyed through these paintings in
all their humble renderings. Each painting is usually an
entire scene that contains various elements of nature
including people, animals, trees, hills etc. Warli
paintings are characterized by their depiction of
triangular humans and animals with stick-like hands and
legs, geometrical designs with rows of dots and dashes.
Straight lines were rare in Warli paintings. A series of
dots and dashes made one line. Events like a marriage, a
dance, sowing, harvesting or hunting are the primary
themes. Birds, squirrels, monkeys, snakes and other
animals are frequently depicted. Natural elements like
streams and rocks are also featured. The themes are
often repetitive and symbolic in nature.
However, unlike the other folk arts in India, Warlis do
not narrate mythology or epic, but depict their simple
social life through their art. The prevalence of nature
in the Warli paintings indicates that these people not
only survive on forest, but they are actually a part of
nature herself.
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