CIKS Fellow Ankita continues her mission to create new digital art which blend indigenous traditions and stories with different Indian tribal art styles- all to tell visual stories afresh. Explore her journey of re-creating a story from the Panchatantra in the Paitkar Art form.
Creative blog and Art by Ankita, a digital artist and a fellow at CIKS.
The Panchatantra Tales are as ancient as the 2nd century B.C. and remain one of the earliest extant collections of fables that have preserved their original form. Authored by Pandit Vishnu Sharma, these intricate stories elucidate upon niti- or wise conduct of life, often showcasing animals as the core characters with endings intended towards a moral story.
This particular scene has been borrowed from a section of the Panchatantra series, to make young readers learn that unity is strength. To those inquisitive readers who might be wondering what inspired me to choose Panchatantra, I have an elaborate answer.
Firstly, there exists a remote possibility that one might have missed a chance to read this intriguing story. For most of us, it defined the formative years of our childhood. The earliest stages of nurturing visual literacy were integrated into our school curriculum or bedtime stories, with Panchatantra tales playing a dominant role in reinforcing the art of storytelling. I encountered this story when I was in first grade, and its core moral lesson stuck with me, thanks to the vivid illustrations that captured my imagination as a child. No wonder, we understood stories better through illustrative representations, that continue to be imprinted on our minds. As kids, stories moved us. More than anything, the idea of animals playing the central characters in place of humans itself reciprocated empathy and interconnectedness among us. That brought quite a shift in our perspectives.
The Journey Behind Its Creation
Thanks to technology, there’s more awareness and references to seek for Paitkar art than just in texts and research papers. My surfing through the internet about the same was itself a journey; from understanding the character representations to varied nature depictions.
First and foremost, the indigenous people have been nature-driven with their habitats located mostly amid a diverse ecology. Keeping that in mind, I attempted to picture lush vegetation in verdure; flowers, shrubs, grasslands. Secondly, for setting an aesthetic rural backdrop, a muddy house suitably helped in reflecting a part of the indigenous societies.
It’s rightly said, the last mile is the hardest. The soul of the artwork lies in the lively portrayal of characters. There’s a handful of living elements that bind this art collectively. A flock of birds attempting to escape is created in its simplest form to capture the essence of the Paitkar art. Additionally, the space is also shared by a hen feeding upon grains to amplify the sublime essence of the village life.
The real challenge was to capture a sense of wonder and bewilderment on the bird catcher’s face and the woman who was taking a look at the birds. Through them, I could reflect upon their dressing sense and accessories; aiding in reinforcing cultural values and establishing individual identity.
Understanding Paitkar In A Nutshell
The Paitkar style features hand-painted scroll paintings as a forerunner to immersive storytelling. Digging into its etymological roots, “Paitkar” is a locally sourced term derived from “Patekar.” This Indigenous art is confined to the settlements of Amadubi village in the Dhalbhumgarh area of Jharkhand.
These artists, known as “Chitrakars,” skillfully infuse naturally extracted pigments to craft diverse storytelling renditions. Their work encompasses a wide range of themes, including mythology, Hindu epics, tribal lifestyle, celebrated rituals, and festivals, as well as prominent elements of subsistence and ecological systems with human portrayals being the core of it.
A distinctive body proportion and facial features were adopted to define anthropological beings. It includes one of the widely practiced Indianized traditions, i.e. to feature the elongated eyes that spread to half the face.
Enabling sustainability in their colour curation, here’s a list of pigments naturally sourced by the Paitkar artists:
White – lime powder,
Ochre Yellow – stone or soil,
Black – lamp black, burnt rice, ashes from kerosene lamp,
Red – stone or soil,
Blue- indigo,
Olive Green – minced bean leaves, vegetables
Orange-Palash flowers
To bridge the gap and extend the reach of their artwork, the Chitrakars leveraged raw materials such as tree bark, cloth scraps, and handmade paper to create expansive scrolls for their art. The Paitkar artists front-loaded the practice of glazing technique into their artworks by applying a coat of gum extracted from the babool tree. This scroll format serves as a time capsule, harkening back to the royal times which enabled the exchange of messages between kings.
The Underlying Pedagogical Influences In Immersive Art Experiences
The work of art was for most of us associated with a tangible piece of souvenir that decayed with time. The subsequent fading of colours and wrinkled edges was left untouched and was ultimately lost to the ravages of time. The neglect more often led to their stories and significance overshadowed by the physical degradation, leaving them as poignant reminders of the impermanence of traditional art forms.
Museums, a means of inculcating knowledge about the past, have put newer technologies into greater use. It is finding its focus on stimulating impulses rather than just moving eyeballs. It has switched to an immersive and interactive theatrical-like experience for art and history enthusiasts.
For instance, the Van Gogh Experience, a groundbreaking and immersive concept, moves across cities and enables art lovers to delve into Van Gogh’s vibrant world in unprecedented ways. This opens avenues for visitors to explore the nuances of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, feel the pulse of his creativity, and gain a deeper understanding of his artistic journey.
This is the beginning of a remarkable reconstruction of art and heritage that hopefully will make room for tribal and Indigenous knowledge systems, enabling a free flow of ethnographic interpretations.
This blog has been created as part of the CIKS Summer Fellowship 2024. Each fellow will share a series of blog posts summarizing their project work from the fellowship. Keep an eye out for the exciting work the fellows are doing!
Meet the creator-author: Ankita
Ankita is passionate about art and history, and explores these through travelling. Her inquisitive traits to know more eventually led her to pursue a B.A. and M.A. in Ancient Indian History and Culture & Archaeology, profoundly shaping her thought process along the way. She aspires to enrich her Indian heritage through the intricate art of illustration. Her aim is to closely examine and study Jharkhand’s indigenous art forms to critically observe perspectives, cultures, dominant narratives, and stereotypes through their motif and theme representations.
Note: All images in this blog have been created by the author, and may not be used/reproduced without permission.