(Bhil painting by renowned Bhil artist Ladoo Bai)
Today, we’re getting to see much more of Bhil art in the mainstream. Clay has been replaced by canvas, natural dyes with acrylic paints. The artists who would earlier paint on walls and floors of their village homes, are now Bhil painting recognized over the country and even internationally, their works sold for hundreds of dollars. But there’s something about this form of art that is so rooted, that a change in medium or even recognition, does not rid it of the honesty of its depictions.
(Bhil painting be Dubu Bariya)
Recognition and Change
One can find authentic Bhil art adorning the walls of the anthropology museum, Museum of Man, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. This is the work of Bhuri Bai of Jher, one of the most well known Bhil artists of our time. Other contemporary Bhil artists to note are Ladoo Bai, Sher Singh, whose work is characterized by his distinctive colour palette of red, green and black, Ram Singh and Dubu Bariya.
(Bhuri Bai of Jher)
In recent times, Bhil artists have started including modern elements into their cast of characters. Buses and other transport are frequent themes. This is a perfect example of the truthfulness of the art form, that records life as it is, as it progresses. It is this honest simplicity that makes Bhil art so striking. There is something almost sacred in the dots that fill up the less than perfect shapes, telling us a story about life as it happens.
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