Warli Painting

What is Warli Painting?

A lovely folk art of Maharashtra. Warli painting is synonymous with the Warli tribe who hail from the North Sahyadri Range in India. They are  simple yet beautiful wall paintings. For instance, the tribes use three basic geometric shapes: a circle, a triangle, and a square.  For example, nature and its elements are portrayed in Warli paintings. In addition, wedding rituals, hunting scenes and funeral scenes are also painted.

Using red ochre walls as the background for their work of art. Warli artists portray intricate patterns in white

Available at Kolkata:- Gurjari

Delhi:- Maharashtra Emporium

A Look at the History

The Warli tribe is believed to be the largest tribe from Palghar District of Maharashtra. It is located on the northern outskirts of Mumbai. This art has existed since the 10th century A.D. but they gained recognition only in the 1970s.

Farming is the main occupation for the Warli tribe. One may not find any influence of the contemporary culture on Warli paintings as the tribe has deep reverence for mother nature and wildlife.

Warli painting in everyday life

Further, rice paste, gum and a bamboo stick are the basic materials used for these rustic Warli paintings. This art form has come a long way from just using white paint on a red ochre background. Today, Warli can be found everywhere in a variety of bright colours for home décor as well as other artistic forms.

In fact, fashion designers like Anita Dongre and James Ferreira have started using these impressions in their designer collections as well.