OUR VISION AND MISSION
We at Artethica have curated some of the finest regional and contemporary art forms and handcrafted items while aiming to promote local, traditional and sustainable art and craftsmanship of India.
ABOUT OUR ARTISTS
Sanjay Parhad
Sanjay Parhad Ji from the Dahanu of Palghar district, Maharashtra, has been practising Warli art since 2012. Warli is derived from “Warala”, meaning a piece of land.
More than an art form, Warli painting has been a reflection of social life for the 1100-years old tribe Warli, mainly concentrated in rural Maharashtra. Warlis worship nature, and their paintings illustrate the harmony between humans and the surrounding nature. Religious ceremonies like Surya Pooja, Vriksha Pooja and Phaluda Devi Pooja play a significant role in Warlis’ lives, and the paintings depict the importance of all these occasions. To date, a marriage function in the Warlis is considered incomplete without a Warli painting.
Traditionally, Geru soil is used as a background with rice paste mixed with gum is used for the painting. The Warli artwork uses geometric shapes like circles, triangles, and rectangles. Circles represent the Sun and the Moon. The triangles symbolize mountains, and the square symbolizes fertility as a blessing from the mother goddess. The upward and downward triangles in the human represent male and female, respectively.The paintings commonly depict human figures and their activities like dancing, cultivating, and harvesting.
Akshay Kumar Bariki
Akshay Kumar Ji is from Puri, Orissa (also called Utkala, the land of exclusive arts), and is a celebrated Pattachitra artisan. Pattachitra is one of the oldest traditional art forms of Orissa and involves painting and engraving on palm leaves using ink or black soot (Patta ~ leaf and Chitra ~picture). Historically, Pattachitra artists lived in the Puri region of Orissa, where people worship Jagannath (lord of the universe: Krishna and its influence is visible in their art forms.Pattachitra artisans use sun-dried palm leaves as a base and sometimes stitch the leaves with a cotton cloth for added strength. The artists use primary colours (including white and black) derived from natural substances, and the themes depict ancient Indian religious scenes, including Ramayana and Mahabharata. Akshay Ji’s family has been practising and promoting this art for generations and has received a National award from the Ministry of Textiles and another from UNESCO.
Pappu Chand Sharma
Pappu Chand Ji, born and raised in Jaipur, Rajasthan, specializes in creating beautiful illustrations and paintings of flora and fauna. Having produced some award-winning botanical and wildlife paintings, Pappu Chand Ji also has a flair for still-life paintings of objects from photographs and Mughal-inspired motifs. The papers used in his paintings mostly have an antique look, similar to the ones used during the Mughal rule. Depending on the size, level of detailing and the more realistic features, his paintings can take a few days to even a month or two to complete. Pappu Chand Ji has also participated in many national and international exhibitions and Film festivals.