CHENNAI: For curator Ritu Bhandari, exploring India’s folk art traditions meant going beyond galleries and museums. Over the years, she travelled to villages and remote interiors across the country, meeting artists, living with them and learning about the traditions they have inherited and continue to practise.

The exhibition titled 'Traversing the Tapestry: The Living Folk Art Forms of India', brings together 12 art forms from different parts of the country. The collection includes Warli, Kavad, Phad, Mysore, Pichwai, Cheriyal scrolls, Pattachitra, Kerala murals, Gond, Madhubani, Kalighat and Kangra miniatures.

“I wanted to understand what goes into creating each art form, from the colours and mediums they use to the stories and traditions behind them. More importantly, I wanted to understand how this knowledge has been passed down through generations,” says Ritu

For her, the experience was more than documenting art. Living alongside the artists changed the way she looked at folk traditions and the communities that preserve them. “It was a life-changing experience. I met different kinds of people and artists, and living and staying with them changed my perspective on what art should be. It was not just about documenting their work, but discovering their knowledge, their systems and the cultural wealth that still exists in the remotest parts of India, which we may not be aware of while living in cities,” she says.

The exhibition also aims to introduce these traditions to a wider audience, particularly younger viewers. “Many people do not know that these art forms exist. The idea is to create awareness and help more people discover them,” she adds.

Alongside the exhibition, three workshops will offer participants an opportunity to learn directly from practitioners. Vijay Joshi will conduct the Phad painting workshop, Anwar Chitrakar will lead the Kalighat painting workshop and Krishna Kumar will conduct the Kerala mural workshop. The workshops will run simultaneously, with registrations on a first-come, first-served basis. The exhibition and workshop will be held on September 24 and 25 at InKo Centre.