Women Painters of Rural Bengal
How women folk artists painted their road to empowerment becoming Community Changemakers.
Swarna Chitrakar - An Exemplary Woman Painter of Bengal PatachitraBanglanatak
Patachitra of Bengal
Patachitra of Bengal is a tradition of visual storytelling. Stories are painted on long scrolls by the painters, known as Chitrakars, who gradually unfurl them while singing the stories. Patachitra is known for its bold colours, lines and strokes. The songs are called Pater Gaan.
A Patachitra Artist at WorkBanglanatak
Women in Patachitra
Women play a vital role in taking Patachitra tradition forward. The community resides at Naya village in Pingla of Paschim Medinipur district.
Fish Motif on Diversified Products (2019) by ChitrataruBanglanatak
Till a few years ago Patachitra was mainly practiced by the men of the community. Today the women are actively engaged in safeguarding their heritage, and have created their own identities as Artists.
POT Maya Festival (2018) by Swarna Chitrakar & OthersBanglanatak
Today around 100 women of the village are involved in the art form. The journey of these women have not been easy owing to social norms, they were discouraged by society but it was their dreams and aspirations that kept them going amidst all the hardships.
Women empowerment in Pingla patachitra villageBanglanatak
The women artists have been able to create their individual identity with their art. The path to success has been a long and tedious one.
The Art of a Patachitra Artist (2018) by Rupsona ChitrakarBanglanatak
Practicing the art form has not only opened up avenues of financial independence for the women but also made them confident individuals and decision makers. Increasingly the youth have joined this traditional art as their regular profession.
Narrating Stories through Patachitra (2018) by Jaba & Sonali ChitrakarBanglanatak
Today, the women Patuas are taking their products to the market, showcasing their art on prestigious national and international platforms.
They have emerged as changemakers inspiring other women to follow the path of empowerment.
Swarna Chitrakar at Natural Colour Making WorkshopBanglanatak
They have revived their tradition of natural colour use and have successfully passed on the knowledge to the next generations.
Making of natural colorBanglanatak
The artists make their own colours from various natural ingredients such as turmeric, annatto fruit, flat-bean leaf, burnt rice, white clay, teak leaves, etc. In this video one can see the women preparing the colours at home.
Natural Colour-making Workshop (2018) by Swarna ChitrakarBanglanatak
The women painters also hold workshops on natural colour-making in and outside their village.
Painting Patachitra on Pots (2018) by Alema ChitrakarBanglanatak
The women paint diversified products that have expanded their market opportunities.
A Patachitra Artist at Annual Patachitra Festival - POT MayaBanglanatak
They paint on boxes, umbrellas, fabric, home decor products, etc.
Hand-Painted Stoles on Display (2018) by Mamata ChitrakarBanglanatak
Textiles hand painted with Patachitra have become quite popular.
Visitors at POT Maya Festival (2018) by Jaba & Sonia ChitrakarBanglanatak
Celebrate with the Artists
Experience the art, visit their village, interact with the artists, take a tour of the community museum at Naya in Pingla (Paschim Medinipur).
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.