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Exhibited as part of AAL (Asian Art in London) Nature's Mirror: An Exploration of the Natural World Viewed Through the Lens of Tradition presents a contemporaneous exploration of varied vignettes of an agrarian life based on the incorporation of traditional visual vocabularies. The artists are drawn from the Gond, Madhubani and Kalamkari communities of India who interweave their individual visual interpretations of ancient belief systems which shape their understanding of man’s place in the natural world. The exhibition underscores the unity and universality presented by the diverse visual languages.

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Madhubani Art 

Madhubani, or ‘forest of honey’ is an art form that dates back 2500 years. Today, it is one of the most celebrated forms of traditional art in India with several artists having received National Awards, more than any other traditional Indian art form. In its earliest avatar, women from the region of Mithila in the state of Bihar painted the walls and floors of homes, especially in the rooms prepared for newly wedded couples. Interestingly, the expertise in this art was handed down through generations only amongst the women of the community, resulting in a majority of the artists today being women. Unique to Madhubani art, artisans ensure there are no empty spaces, with blank areas filled with a mix of flowers, animals, birds, and geometric motifs. 

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Gond Art

The Gond’s are one of the oldest, and largest tribal communities of India. The Pardhans, a sub-group of the tribe, are the ones credited with nurturing and maintaining their artistic traditions. Their art reflects the belief that everything in the natural world is inhabited by Spirit, and often depicts ordinary scenes from life lived in close proximity to nature. Originally painted on the walls and floors of their homes for Puja’s, or festivals, the women of the community drew motifs using a limited colour palette derived from natural sources such as charcoal, hibiscus, plant sap, yellow mud, leaves and even cow dung. Modern day practicing artists have innovated these motifs and often use more modern materials such as acrylic paint and ink. However, they have stayed with the distinguishable use of lines; perfectly drawn curved lines, dots and dashes that give a sense of movement and depth to the paintings.

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Kalamkari Art

Kalamkari is the art of painting on cloth with a ‘kalam’ or tamarind pen by a craftsperson or ‘kari’. Its roots can be traced to the Middle Ages in the Southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, whose royal families provided patronage. The resulting paintings were hung in temples, serving as a backdrop behind statues of idols and drew inspiration from epics, mythological legends and nature.

Today, there are two main styles of Kalamkari art, Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam. The Srikalahasti style of Kalamkari is testament to the purest form of the art, crafted entirely by hand using traditional implements and methods. The Machilipatnam stye uses blocks to print on fabric.​​​

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