/about Warli

 

Culture expresses itself in many ways, one of which is in the art of its people. Indian culture, as it is seen today, is an eclectic mix of people and traditions. The earliest known art form in India is tribal art. While each tribal art form has its own history and influences, there is one that by virtue of its inherent simplicity, commands attention – the unique art of the Warli tribe from Western India, that deals with the relatively mundane happenings of daily life.

Inspired by nature
Warli art can be best understood through the eyes of the tribe: their religious habits, traditions and folklore. The Warli pay homage to various forms of nature – the sun, the moon, and the gods of thunder, lightening, wind and rain. With these paintings, they convey and reinforce their bond with nature.

​

Geometry as art
Warli paintings have a basic graphic vocabulary of circles, triangles, and squares, which become the building blocks for an art form that has remained almost unchanged through the ages. A distinctive feature of Warli art is that it is stark. With brown mud backgrounds and drawings in white, the paintings bring an element of freshness to the day-to-day events they symbolize.