Blogs on Artwork & Paintings

Unlike decorative art, a Pichhwai is meant to serve. Hung behind the idol of Srinathji, it sets the divine stage for darshan (sacred viewing), narrating stories from the Bhagavata Purana and marking seasonal festivals like Annakut, Sharad Purnima, and Janmashtami. Creating a Pichhwai is not simply a craft, it is sacred sadhana, where each element is infused with intentional devotion. The process follows centuries-old methods, passed down in close-knit artist lineages. The essence of Pichhwai lies in Bhakti, the loving devotion that inspires its creation. Their brush becomes a garland, each motif a celebration of the deity. Through this, the painting becomes a portal to Nathdwara, a silent darshan that speaks without words.

Indian artwork has always mesmerized the world because of the handiwork that goes into it. Out of the many Indian art forms that are practiced by hand Mysore wood inlay work remains the most exquisite. A product of many days of precision and patience of the most skilled artisans, wood inlay work involves carving out a particular design on a wooden base using a very sharp tool and filling the hollowed-out part with new material which can be wood of contrasting colors, brass, resin, and even gold and silver. The base is usually of Mysore rosewood but other types of wood can also be used. For instance, Sheesham wood is used to make furniture with inlay work.

Kalamkari, a traditional painting method, pertains to freehand sketching. This bygone-year process of hand painting directs the artists to draw the portraits with a tamarind pen and color them using natural dyes. Kalamkari means an art that needs a kalam, which is a pen for drawing, whereas the word kari, which is a Parsi word, refers to craftsmanship. Flowers, peacocks, paisleys, and mythological characters from the Ramayana and Mahabharata are some excellent motifs used in the Kalamkari art.

Batik painting is a highly beautiful and an ancient art form. Batik paintings represent a highly unique form of art involving various figures and patterns drawn on the pieces of fabrics. These paintings are believed to have originated in Indonesia wherein the original word referred to the dots on clothes. Batik represents the wax-resist dye technique, used in textiles. This art is believed to be more than one thousand years old. Batik art work is widely practised in regions like Java (Indonesia) and India. India is known for its rich tradition in Batik paintings and truly exquisite works of Batik art continue to be procured from different regions of India. From the Javanese origin the word batik is taken.