This weekend, an expert offers you a crash course in an ancient tribal art form

If you've lived in the city for any length of time, chances are that you’ve encountered Warli tribal art at some point

A Warli painting by Rajesh Rade, who has 15 years of experience in the art form

If you've lived in the city for any length of time, chances are that you’ve encountered Warli tribal art at some point. If you want to learn how to create some of these beauties for your home, attend a workshop hosted by Rajesh Rade, an artist belonging to the Warli tribe.

Rajesh Rade

The Warlis are an indigenous tribe living in the northern outskirts of Mumbai, and surrounding areas, and Warli paintings depict village scenes featuring tiny, faceless people and animals; all created using only lines, circles and triangles. Rade, who hails from Alonda village in Palghar, has been engaged in the art for nearly 15 years. He says, “Warli art gets its name from our tribe. My ancestors have been creating these paintings for centuries. The skills get passed on from one generation to the next.”

A vibrant expression of the daily life of the tribe, Warli paintings were traditionally created to embellish the drab mud walls of houses in a village. “Earlier, you wouldn’t find these works anywhere but on mud walls. A natural white paint, made out of ground rice, was used to draw the figures. Today, these paintings are more portable; they can even be made on paper or canvas,” adds Rade.

He adds that nowadays, artists have also begun deviating from painting on the regular mud-hued backdrops; they are now experimenting with other colours in an attempt to give the ancient folk art a modern touch.

At the workshop, Rade will first introduce you to the history of Warli art. He will then go on to teach you the nuances of the art form, including the use of symbols and their meanings. You can then put brush to canvas as you learn to
tell a story with your painting.

After the workshop, you can also purchase paintings at a pop-up store that will be set up at the venue.

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