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Tree of Life

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Details

Artform

Traditional Phad Art, Rajasthan

Artist

Kalyan Joshi

Dimensions

80 x 48 In.

Medium

Natural Colors on Cotton Cloth

Framing

Unframed

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The Painting

Hand-painted by master artist Kalyan Joshi in contemporary Phad style, this magnificent artwork depicts the ‘Tree of Life’, which has been a prominent visual motif in various religions across South Asia. In India, the ‘Tree of Life’ comes from several sources such as the Bodhi tree under which Buddha received enlightenment, the Peepal and Banyan trees associated with Hindu mythology, and the tree of immortality alluded to in Islam. The motif itself represents the source of life, or the cycle of life and death as well as the force that connects all lives. Here the artist has painted the tree with emanating branches in a white color against a deep red background with fine details of leaves painted with minute brush strokes. Towards the root, he has depicted an elephant taking shelter under it which is an allegory of natural beings coming together to help each other out. The style becomes a fusion of older Phad techniques along with contemporary style through its intricate design and use of a plain background in contrast to the lighter tones of the tree. He has used natural pigments on cotton cloth to portray a Phad painting.

The Art

Phad painting is a traditional style of religious scroll painting, which is native to the state of Rajasthan. The word phad means “fold” in the local Rajasthani language, and thus refers to scroll paintings made on cloth, typically cotton or silk, which are then folded and unfolded during the performances of accompanying folk songs and stories. The paintings depict the tales of the local deities and heroes, particularly of Pabuji or Devnarayan who are worshiped by the Rabari tribe in Rajasthan. The Bhopas, the priest-singers within the tribe, carry the painted phads along with them as mobile temples. They are usually done in bright colors with bold lines and exaggerated features and are about 20-30 feet in length and about 5 feet wide. The artists known as phad painters come from the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan and have a long history, with some scrolls dating back to the 17th century.

The Artist

Born in 1969, Kalyan Joshi comes from a lineage of Phad painters of as early as the 13th century. He started painting from the age of 8 with his father Shri Lal Joshi who was an acclaimed Padma Shree honoree. Kalyan Joshi has experimented with new stories, contemporary-style painting, and line drawing. He is the founder of “Ankan Artist Group”. Since 1990 he has conducted 200 workshops at various schools all over India, and SPICMACAY, and also foreign exhibitions in countries such as the USA, Dubai, Spain, France, Australia, and so on. He has won several awards including the National Award by the Govt. of India (2010), the National Merit Award by the Govt. of India (2006) & the Gauri Shankar Mehta Award, and Maru Parampara (2008).

Provenance

The painting has been created by Bridge Bharat’s master artist partners.

Customizations

"Want a unique artwork for that wall at home- one that resonates entirely with you? Please use the WhatsApp chat below or email us at aakanksha@bridgebharat.com to discuss your requirements with our team. "

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Other details

"The price you see is for an unframed painting. If you want us to custom frame the artwork, please drop us a message. We highly encourage this, framing is an art by itself :) The artwork you will receive is as close to the original artwork as possible but as with all things handmade, there may be minute differences in color and motifs, truly rendering each artwork one of a kind. Trust the process! "