The East-West Center Arts Program presents

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

great epics, local regional heroes,and contemporary issues importantto villagers such as HIV prevention.Traditionally, scroll painters

and narrative bards wandered fromvillage to village singing their owncompositions while unwinding theirscroll paintings or opening their storyboxes. Examples of this type of story-

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

telling painting to be exhibited includethe scrolls of the Patua fromWestBengal and the Bhopa of Rajasthan,and the small portable woodentemples of the Khavdia Bhat, alsofrom Rajasthan. In addition, theexhibition will highlight narrative folkpaintings from the states of Odisha,Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.

Narrative paintings tell stories, eitheras one episode or single moment ina tale, or as a sequence of eventsunfolding through time. The retellingof stories through narrative paintingcan be seen throughout India invarious forms. This exhibition focuseson several unique folk art forms thattell the stories of deities from the

INDIANFOLKPAINTINGS

Curator:Michael Schuster | Installation: Lynne Najita | Artist-in-Residence and Consultant: Gita Kar

COLORFUL STORIESCOLORFUL STORIESCOLORFUL STORIESCOLORFUL STORIES

Bhopa and PhadPhad, or par, a 400-year old picturestory-telling tradition from the desertstate of Rajasthan, illustrates a panoplyof characters and scenes frommedievalRajasthan. Phad are scrolls painted oncloth (approximately 15’ x 5’) andcovered with miniature scenes. Thecloth is first covered with a paste offlour and gum and then polished witha stone. An outline of the painting isdone in a light yellow, and then filled inone color after the other, mixing thecolors with gum and water. Althoughthe hero Pabuji is most often depicted,Devnarayan, an incarnation of Vishnu,is also painted.The story teller, called a Bhopa, is in

a sense an itinerant priest. A hereditaryposition, the Bhopa are of a low casteand the only individuals that perform thetradition. Using mime, song, dance, andpointing to episodes in the scroll, the

Bhopa and his wife, calleda Bhopi, will narratethroughout the night.Bhopa are invited byvillagers to perform,commonly during timesof misfortune. Bhopacommission the phadfromprofessional painterswho operate from towns

in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.

KavadThe kavad is a small mobile woodentemple, made in several sizes withseveral doors. It is constructed andpainted in the village Basi, known forits wood craftsmen (called Kheradi).The Rajasthani Kavadia Bhat, theprofessional performers of the kavad,travel from village to village to performfor their patrons. As each door of thekavad is opened, a new painted scenefrom Hindu epics and stories is revealedand then accompanied by a rhythmicnarration about the deities painted onthem.When the narration is completedwith the opening of the last door, thedeities/heroes Ram, Lakshman and Sitaare displayed. Offerings of coins by theonlookers are placed at the bottom ofthis hand-carried temple.

Patua and PatThe Patua fromWest Bengal are atraditional painting community referredto as chitrakar. Since at least the 13thcentury they have created colorfulscrolls and narrated thepainted stories throughoriginal songs.The Patuaare a unique sub-casteand their traditionaloccupation is thepainting and modelingof Hindu deities.Although many of themare Muslim, they paintscrolls that often narrateHindu stories. Scholars suggest thatthey are of tribal origin from theMidnapore region inWest Bengaland over time were Islamized. Forgenerations, these scroll paintershave gone from village to villagewith their pat (scrolls), singingstories while unrolling their narrativescrolls, in return for money or food.The pat are made of sheets of paper(of equal or different sizes) whichare sewn together and painted witheither vegetable and mineral paintsor synthetic poster paints. In additionto painting scrolls depicting Hinduepics, the Patua also paint scrollsdepicting Muslim stories and localheroes. They paint about relevantcontemporary issues as well, such ashuman trafficking, HIV prevention,and Osama Bin Laden’s escape fromBora Bora.

APPLYING PAINTTO SCROLL | MINDAPORE,W. BENGAL, 2013PHOTO: GAYLE GOODMAN

KAVADRAJASTHAN, 2001ARTIST: RAM CHENDRA

HANUMAN PHAD | RAJASTHAN, 2004

KalamkariKalamkari are hand-painted or block-printed cotton textiles, produced in partsof India and in Iran. The word is derivedfrom thePersianwords for“pen”(ghalam)and “craftsmanship” (kari). In India,physical evidence of resist painting oncloth dates back to the 8th century. Theexhibited kalamkari are from the holycity of Srikalahasti in the state of AndhraPradesh in Southern India. This styledeveloped around temples and is mostlyinvolved with Hindu religious themes.The kalamkari can be seen in scrolls,temple hangings, and chariot banners,depicting narrative scenes from theRamayana, Mahabarata and Puranas.Kamaladevi Chattopadhayay popularizedthe art as the first chairperson of theAll India Handicrafts Board in the 1960s.The Srikalahasti style of kalamkari

is entirely hand-worked and uses naturaldyes made from plants and minerals.The design is first outlined in charcoalwith a sharpened bamboo point.The dyes are then individually painted,often with alum as a fixative. After eachcolor application, the cloth is washedin buffalo milk to affix the color andprevent spreading. A completedkalamkarimay be washed 20 times.

PattachitraPattachitra is a folk art from Odisha,formerly known as Orissa, a state on theBay of Bengal, on the eastern coast of

MadhubaniMadhubani, or Mithila painting, is astyle of Indian painting practiced inthe Mithila region of Bihar state, India.Madhubani paintings are characterizedby geometric patterns and use two-dimensional imagery, often depictingscenes from Hindu epics. The paintingscommonly feature natural objectsincluding the sun,moon and sacredplants. The picture space is entirelyfilled with designs of flowers, birds,animals and geometric shapes. Thepaint is made from a powdered ricepaste and colored with natural dyesand pigments. Painters use fingers,twigs, brushes, nib pens and match-sticks to create their images.Madhubani painting has been

traditionally practiced by the womenof the Brahman, Dusadh and Kayasthacommunities. The paints were appliedto freshly plastered mud walls andfloors of huts for weddings and festivals.Now the art is also painted on cloth,handmade paper and canvas. Duringthe severe drought in Bihar in 1966,female artists were encouraged to painton paper by the All India HandicraftsBoard so that their work could bemarketed and sold. Since then thework has received international renown.

India.These paintings are based onHindu stories, especially episodes aboutVishnu and his incarnations, and the localdeity Jaganath. Pattachitra have beenpainted for more than a thousand years.The painters are known as chitrakar.In the 16th century, with the emergenceof the bhakti movement, the paintingsof Radha and Krishna (an incarnation ofVishnu) were painted in vibrant shadesof orange, red and yellow. Typical scenesand figures include Krishna, Krishna’sadoring Gopis (milk maids), elephants,trees and other creatures.The painting of pattachitra involves

the entire family and takes place in thehome. The master painter, an elder orgifted male family member, draws theinitial lines and gives the final finishing.Thewomenandyoungermenof the familyprepare the glue and canvas, fill in thecolors and give the final lacquer coating.The canvas is made of strips of cottoncloth, and the colors are derived fromvegetable, earth and mineral pigments.

KAMA-RATI | MITHILA, BIHAR, 1991 | ARTIST: KARPOORI DEVI

SCENE FROM LARGER KALAMKARISRIKALAHASTI, ANDHRA PRADESH,MID-1960s

PATTACHITRA PAINTER | RAGHURAJPUR, ODISHA, 2013 | PHOTO: GAYLE GOODMAN

Printed with soy based inks on recycled paper

East-West Center Gallery | Honolulu, Hawai‘iJohn 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. 1Gallery admission is free

For further information: 944.7177 | arts@EastWestCenter.org | 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,by telephoning the EWC Foundation at 944.7105, or online: http://arts.EastWestCenter.org

TheEast-West Center promotes better relationsand understanding among the people and nationsof the United States,Asia, and the Pacific throughcooperative study, research,anddialogue.Establishedby the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves asa resource for information and analysis on criticalissues of common concern, bringing people togetherto exchange views, build expertise, and developpolicy options.The Center is an independent, public,nonprofit organization with funding from theU.S. government, and additional support providedby private agencies, individuals, foundations,corporations, and governments in the region.

The East-West Center Arts Programhas for 35 years enriched the community throughconcerts, lectures, symposia, and exhibitionsfocusing on traditional arts of the region, andthrough cultural and educational tours by artistswho are skilled in bridging cultures.

EWC Arts Team: Karen Knudsen, director,ExternalAffairs;William Feltz, arts programmanager;Michael Schuster, Ph.D., curator; Eric Chang, artsprogram coordinator; Gary Yoshida, developmentofficer; Joseph Cassidy, arts student assistant;Matthew Jewell, research intern.

The following have generously lent paintings,photography or video from their collections:Gita and Pradip Kar, Pramona and Nikhil Amin,Shonalie and Christopher Laville, Esha Neogy,Gayle Goodman, and Michael Schuster.

Mahalo:Nancy E.Hulbirt, Brooks G.Bays Jr., UHMSOEST, Lynne Najita, Gurupada Chitrakar, RaniChitrakar, Swarna Chitrakar, Mamoni Chitrakar,Aditya Palochoudri, Esha Neogy, Eric Johnson,Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Gita and Pradip Kar,Sai Bhatawadekar, Paul Lavy, Cheri Vasek, GayleGoodman, Frank J. Korom, Nandita Palchowdhury,Jesse K. Knutson,West Bengal Crafts Council,Leilani Ng,Colorprints Inc., Kennedy&Preiss GraphicDesign, Derek Ferrar, Shayne Hasegawa, PhyllisTabusa, Lucy Kamealoha, Deanna O’Brien, TinaTom,RoxanneTunoa,Marie Ebesu, Elizabeth Kuioka,Janice Kamemoto,Jo-Ann Kok,Reynold Balintec,EWC Facilities Management.

This exhibition is made possible bygenerous support from Hawaiian Airlinesand Aston Hotels & Resorts.

RESIDENCE OF SUNDARBAN SCROLL |W. BENGAL, 1980s

http://arts.EastWestCenter.org

Special EventsIn the EWCGallery with free admission, unless otherwise noted.

Sunday, September 28, 2:00–3:30 p.m.Exhibition Gala Opening including reception and a short scene and dancefrom Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s production of ABollywood Robin Hoodby Alvin Chan, performed by Lavour Addison, Brittni Shambaugh and JuniorTesoro. Also includes a walk-through by the curator and guest artist, Gita Kar.

Sunday, October 5, 2:00–3:00 p.m.“From the Ocean of Stories” Guest artist and collector Gita Kar weaves oralnarratives from India’s folk and epic traditions with the painted story songs fromher heartland.

Sunday, October 19, 1:30–4:00 p.m.Film: “Paheli” Directed by Amol Palekar, a retelling of a classic Rajasthanifolktale about a young married woman who falls in love with a ghost.

Sunday, November 9, 2:00–3:00 p.m.Illustrated talk: “The Family Portrait: Four Generations of Ketkar Artists”Sai Bhatawadekar, Assistant Professor, UHM Dept. of Indo-Pacific Languagesand Literatures, shares her family’s legacy of Indian artists.

Sunday, November 16, 2:00–3:00 p.m.Illustrated talk: “Delighting in the Lord: The Image of Krishna in Indian Art”by Paul Lavy, Assistant Professor, UHM Dept. of Art and Art History.

Sunday, December 7, 2:00–3:00 p.m.Illustrated talk: “Regional Dress in Rural India” by Cheri Vasek, AssistantProfessor, UHM Dept. of Theatre and Dance.

Sunday, January 11, 2:00–3:00 p.m.Talk: “TheMahābhārata’s Infernal Paradise: On the Premodern Condition”by Jesse Knutson, Assistant Professor, UHM Dept. of Indo-Pacific Languagesand Literature.

EWC Arts Programs are supported by the Hawai‘i Pacific Rim Society, Jhamandas Watumull Fund,Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, Friends of Hawai‘i Charities, Jackie Chan Foundation USA, Sumi Makey,Richard H. Cox, EWC Arts ‘Ohana members, and other generous donors.