Exhibition: September 28, 2014 –January 11, 2015 East-West Center Gallery, Honolulu, Hawai‘i

The East-West Center Arts Program presents INDIAN FOLK COLORFUL STORIES PAINTINGS Curator: Michael Schuster | Installation: Lynne Najita | Artist-in-Residence and Consultant: Gita Kar

SUSHAMA CHITRAKAR NARRATES SCROLL | W. BENGAL, 2013 | PHOTO: GAYLE GOODMAN.

Narrative paintings tell stories, either great epics, local regional heroes, telling painting to be exhibited include as one episode or single moment in and contemporary issues important the scrolls of the Patua from West a tale, or as a sequence of events to villagers such as HIV prevention. Bengal and the Bhopa of Rajasthan, unfolding through time. The retelling Traditionally, scroll painters and the small portable wooden of stories through narrative painting and narrative bards wandered from temples of the Khavdia Bhat, also can be seen throughout India in village to village singing their own from Rajasthan. In addition, the various forms. This exhibition focuses compositions while unwinding their exhibition will highlight narrative folk on several unique folk art forms that scroll paintings or opening their story paintings from the states of Odisha, tell the stories of deities from the boxes. Examples of this type of story - Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Kavad Bhopa and Phad The kavad is a small mobile wooden Phad , or par , a 400-year old picture temple, made in several sizes with story-telling tradition from the desert several doors. It is constructed and state of Rajasthan, illustrates a panoply painted in the village Basi, known for of characters and scenes from medieval its wood craftsmen (called Kheradi). Rajasthan. Phad are scrolls painted on The Rajasthani Kavadia Bhat, the cloth (approximately 15’ x 5’) and professional performers of the kavad , covered with miniature scenes. The travel from village to village to perform cloth is first covered with a paste of for their patrons. As each door of the flour and gum and then polished with kavad is opened, a new painted scene a stone. An outline of the painting is from Hindu epics and stories is revealed done in a light yellow, and then filled in and then accompanied by a rhythmic one color after the other, mixing the narration about the deities painted on colors with gum and water. Although them. When the narration is completed the hero Pabuji is most often depicted, with the opening of the last door, the Devnarayan, an incarnation of Vishnu, APPLYING PAINT TO SCROLL | MINDAPORE, W. BENGAL, 2013 PHOTO: GAYLE GOODMAN deities/heroes Ram, Lakshman and Sita is also painted. are displayed. Offerings of coins by the The story teller, called a Bhopa, is in Patua and Pat onlookers are placed at the bottom of a sense an itinerant priest. A hereditary The Patua from West Bengal are a this hand-carried temple. position, the Bhopa are of a low caste traditional painting community referred and the only individuals that perform the to as chitrakar . Since at least the 13th tradition. Using mime, song, dance, and century they have created colorful pointing to episodes in the scroll, the scrolls and narrated the Bhopa and his wife, called painted stories through a Bhopi, will narrate original songs. The Patua throughout the night. are a unique sub-caste Bhopa are invited by and their traditional villagers to perform, occupation is the commonly during times painting and modeling of misfortune. Bhopa of Hindu deities. commission the phad Although many of them from professional painters are Muslim, they paint who operate from towns scrolls that often narrate in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.

Hindu stories. Scholars suggest that KAVAD RAJASTHAN, 2001 they are of tribal origin from the ARTIST: RAM CHENDRA Midnapore region in West Bengal and over time were Islamized. For generations, these scroll painters have gone from village to village with their pat (scrolls), singing stories while unrolling their narrative scrolls, in return for money or food. The pat are made of sheets of paper (of equal or different sizes) which are sewn together and painted with either vegetable and mineral paints or synthetic poster paints. In addition to painting scrolls depicting Hindu epics, the Patua also paint scrolls depicting Muslim stories and local heroes. They paint about relevant contemporary issues as well, such as human trafficking, HIV prevention, and Osama Bin Laden’s escape from Bora Bora.

HANUMAN PHAD | RAJASTHAN, 2004 Kalamkari Kalamkari are hand-painted or block- printed cotton textiles, produced in parts of India and in Iran. The word is derived from the Persian words for “pen” ( ghalam ) and “craftsmanship” ( kari ). In India, physical evidence of resist painting on cloth dates back to the 8th century. The exhibited kalamkari are from the holy city of Srikalahasti in the state of Andhra SCENE FROM LARGER KALAMKARI SRIKALAHASTI, ANDHRA PRADESH, MID-1960 s Pradesh in Southern India. This style developed around temples and is mostly India. These paintings are based on involved with Hindu religious themes. Hindu stories, especially episodes about The kalamkari can be seen in scrolls, Vishnu and his incarnations, and the local temple hangings, and chariot banners, deity Jaganath. Pattachitra have been depicting narrative scenes from the painted for more than a thousand years. Ramayana, Mahabarata and Puranas. The painters are known as chitrakar . Kamaladevi Chattopadhayay popularized In the 16th century, with the emergence the art as the first chairperson of the of the bhakti movement, the paintings All India Handicrafts Board in the 1960s. of Radha and Krishna (an incarnation of The Srikalahasti style of kalamkari Vishnu) were painted in vibrant shades KAMA-RATI | MITHILA, BIHAR, 1991 | ARTIST: KARPOORI DEVI is entirely hand-worked and uses natural of orange, red and yellow. Typical scenes dyes made from plants and minerals. and figures include Krishna, Krishna’s Madhubani The design is first outlined in charcoal adoring Gopis (milk maids), elephants, Madhubani, or Mithila painting, is a with a sharpened bamboo point. trees and other creatures. style of Indian painting practiced in The dyes are then individually painted, The painting of pattachitra involves the Mithila region of Bihar state, India. often with alum as a fixative. After each the entire family and takes place in the Madhubani paintings are characterized color application, the cloth is washed home. The master painter, an elder or by geometric patterns and use two- in buffalo milk to affix the color and gifted male family member, draws the dimensional imagery, often depicting prevent spreading. A completed initial lines and gives the final finishing. scenes from Hindu epics. The paintings kalamkari may be washed 20 times. The women and younger men of the family commonly feature natural objects prepare the glue and canvas, fill in the including the sun, moon and sacred Pattachitra colors and give the final lacquer coating. plants. The picture space is entirely Pattachitra is a folk art from Odisha, The canvas is made of strips of cotton filled with designs of flowers, birds, formerly known as Orissa, a state on the cloth, and the colors are derived from animals and geometric shapes. The Bay of Bengal, on the eastern coast of vegetable, earth and mineral pigments. paint is made from a powdered rice paste and colored with natural dyes and pigments. Painters use fingers, twigs, brushes, nib pens and match - sticks to create their images. Madhubani painting has been traditionally practiced by the women of the Brahman, Dusadh and Kayastha communities. The paints were applied to freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts for weddings and festivals. Now the art is also painted on cloth, handmade paper and canvas. During the severe drought in Bihar in 1966, female artists were encouraged to paint on paper by the All India Handicrafts Board so that their work could be marketed and sold. Since then the work has received international renown.

PATTACHITRA PAINTER | RAGHURAJPUR, ODISHA, 2013 | PHOTO: GAYLE GOODMAN The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options. The Center is an independent, public, nonprofit organization with funding from the U.S. government, and additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments in the region. RESIDENCE OF SUNDARBAN SCROLL | W. BENGAL, 1980 s

The East-West Center Arts Program has for 35 years enriched the community through Special Events concerts, lectures, symposia, and exhibitions In the EWC Gallery with free admission, unless otherwise noted. focusing on traditional arts of the region, and through cultural and educational tours by artists Sunday, September 28, 2:00 –3:30 p.m. who are skilled in bridging cultures. Exhibition Gala Opening including reception and a short scene and dance from Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s production of A Bollywood Robin Hood EWC Arts Team : Karen Knudsen, director, by Alvin Chan, performed by Lavour Addison, Brittni Shambaugh and Junior External Affairs; William Feltz, arts program manager; Tesoro. Also includes a walk-through by the curator and guest artist, Gita Kar. Michael Schuster, Ph.D., curator; Eric Chang, arts program coordinator; Gary Yoshida, development Sunday, October 5, 2:00 –3:00 p.m. officer; Joseph Cassidy, arts student assistant; “From the Ocean of Stories” Guest artist and collector Gita Kar weaves oral Matthew Jewell, research intern. narratives from India’s folk and epic traditions with the painted story songs from her heartland. The following have generously lent paintings, Sunday, October 19, 1:30 –4:00 p.m. photography or video from their collections: Film: “Paheli” Directed by Amol Palekar, a retelling of a classic Rajasthani Gita and Pradip Kar, Pramona and Nikhil Amin, folktale about a young married woman who falls in love with a ghost. Shonalie and Christopher Laville, Esha Neogy, Gayle Goodman, and Michael Schuster. Sunday, November 9, 2:00 –3:00 p.m. Illustrated talk: “The Family Portrait: Four Generations of Ketkar Artists” Mahalo: Nancy E. Hulbirt, Brooks G. Bays Jr., UHM Sai Bhatawadekar, Assistant Professor, UHM Dept. of Indo-Pacific Languages SOEST, Lynne Najita, Gurupada Chitrakar, Rani and Literatures, shares her family’s legacy of Indian artists. Chitrakar, Swarna Chitrakar, Mamoni Chitrakar, Aditya Palochoudri, Esha Neogy, Eric Johnson, Sunday, November 16, 2:00 –3:00 p.m. Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Gita and Pradip Kar, Illustrated talk: “Delighting in the Lord: The Image of Krishna in Indian Art” Sai Bhatawadekar, Paul Lavy, Cheri Vasek, Gayle by Paul Lavy, Assistant Professor, UHM Dept. of Art and Art History. Goodman, Frank J. Korom, Nandita Palchowdhury, Sunday, December 7, 2:00 –3:00 p.m. Jesse K. Knutson, West Bengal Crafts Council, Illustrated talk: “Regional Dress in Rural India” by Cheri Vasek, Assistant Leilani Ng, Colorprints Inc., Kennedy & Preiss Graphic Professor, UHM Dept. of Theatre and Dance. Design, Derek Ferrar, Shayne Hasegawa, Phyllis Tabusa, Lucy Kamealoha, Deanna O’Brien, Tina Sunday, January 11, 2:00 –3:00 p.m. Tom, Roxanne Tunoa, Marie Ebesu, Elizabeth Kuioka, Talk: “The Mahābhārata’s Infernal Paradise: On the Premodern Condition” Janice Kamemoto, Jo-Ann Kok, Reynold Balintec, by Jesse Knutson, Assistant Professor, UHM Dept. of Indo-Pacific Languages EWC Facilities Management. and Literature.

This exhibition is made possible by EWC Arts Programs are supported by the Hawai‘i Pacific Rim Society, Jhamandas Watumull Fund, generous support from Hawaiian Airlines Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, Friends of Hawai‘i Charities, Jackie Chan Foundation USA, Sumi Makey, and Aston Hotels & Resorts. Richard H. Cox, EWC Arts ‘Ohana members, and other generous donors.

East-West Center Gallery | Honolulu, Hawai‘i John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road (corner Dole St. & East-West Rd.) Gallery hours: Weekdays: 8:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m. , Sundays: Noon –4:00 p.m. Closed Saturdays, federal holidays, and Nov. 28 & 30, Dec. 24 –25, and Dec 31 –Jan. 1 Gallery admission is free For further information: 94 4.7177 | [email protected] | http://arts.EastWestCenter.org Free school & group tours available Gallery visitors interested in joining the EWC Arts ‘Ohana can obtain the appropriate flyer in the gallery, http://arts.EastWestCenter.org by telephoning the EWC Foundation at 944.7105, or online: http://arts.EastWestCenter.org

Printed with soy based inks on recycled paper