Derived from the word kalam (pen), Kalamkari involves hand-painting on cotton fabric using natural vegetable dyes. Major centres include Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Themes include Hindu mythology and decorative motifs.
Paitkar Paintings
Practiced by tribal communities in Jharkhand, Paitkar paintings are among India’s oldest art forms. They are associated with rituals, yajnas and beliefs about life after death. This art is currently endangered.
Kalighat Paintings
Developed in 19th-century Kolkata, Kalighat paintings were created by rural migrants near the Kalighat temple. Painted with watercolours on mill paper, they initially depicted religious themes and later evolved to comment on social issues, hypocrisy and changing gender roles.
Patua Art
Originating in Bengal around a thousand years ago, Patua art consists of scroll paintings accompanied by songs narrating religious, social or political stories. Traditionally painted on cloth, modern versions use paper and poster colours.
Pattachitra
A traditional art form of Odisha, Pattachitra literally means “cloth painting.” It blends classical and folk elements, with themes drawn mainly from Jagannath and Vaishnava traditions.
Natural colours derived from minerals and plants are used, and the painting is finished with a lacquer coating for a glossy effect. Palm-leaf Pattachitra, known as Talapattachitra, is also popular.
Madhubani Paintings
Also known as Mithila paintings, this art originated in villages around Madhubani in Bihar and extends into Nepal’s Terai region. Traditionally practiced by women, themes are largely religious, depicting Hindu deities such as Krishna, Rama, Durga, Lakshmi and Shiva.
Paintings are flat, two-dimensional with no shading, characterised by bold colours, double-line borders, ornate floral designs and exaggerated facial features. Originally painted on walls using rice paste and vegetable colours, the medium later shifted to paper and canvas. The art received national recognition in 1970 and has GI status.
Cubist Style of Painting
Inspired by the European Cubist movement, this style involved breaking objects into parts, analysing them and reassembling them in abstract forms. Artists aimed to balance line and colour while depicting multiple perspectives.
M.F. Husain was a major Indian cubist artist. His series Personification of Romance frequently used horses as motifs to express movement and dynamism.
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