Giving folk art its due

Ritika Jhunjhunwala and Fredun Medhora were quite unimpressed with how Indian folk art is missing from our cultural narrative. Subscribing to the ‘if you don’t like it, change it’ school of thought, the textile artists by profession started their own textile consultancy company, Iteeha, to challenge the art and culture scene.

“Indian art and culture is very beautiful, and the art forms are so varied,” explains Ritika. “But despite that, we realised that many people just aren’t aware of it. That’s how we started with Iteeha.”

Besides being a design and consultancy company, Iteeha also doubles up as host for art and craft workshop around the country, with a special concentration on Indian folk art. Having had conducted several workshops in the past, like a Madhubani painting workshop and Japanese tie-dye workshop, the consultancy hopes to make Indian folk art available to everyone. “At Iteeha, we focus on educating, encouraging and bringing the rich Indian folk art to people. And we do so by giving the artisans a chance to tell their own story,” says Ritika. “We get artists from their villages, get them to the city and hold live workshops. We are connecting the people directly to the art form.”

Quite like the Japanese workshop, the duo don’t limit themselves to sourcing art forms and artists from other countries, but they’re decidedly more interested in imparting knowledge according to the traditional art.

Later in the week, Ritika will be conducting a Gond painting workshop. Unlike the name suggests, Gond art has nothing to do with glue. It’s a form of folk and tribal art practiced by the Gond tribe. “It’s a storytelling art. In fact, while painting, artists even sing out aloud,” Ritika informs us.

Unlike many other folk art forms, Gond isn’t too obscure, having gained popularity with prints on shirts, trousers and kurtas recently. Traditionally done on mud walls with natural paints, Gond paintings are perceived as illusions owing to their textures. “Textures like boond (a drop of water) and lekh (a line) create the illusions. Gond is a very simplified form of painting; the artists painted their interpretations of what they saw in the world and it is so simple, humble yet beautiful,” Ritika says.

Even as she talks about the prints, Ritika, however, is quick to clarify that these workshops aren’t just another hobby class one takes on a lazy afternoon. From sourcing artists from far off villages, to living with them to know about their native art form in-depth, and learning the art, Iteeha puts in a effort in the initiative, she tells us. “We work too hard for the workshop to be a one-off thing. Our workshops are intense and look to provide a thorough knowledge about the particular folk art. I see so many people enrol in art classes as a hobby class. They take a one-day class and think they can do a bandhini print, for instance,” she sternly signs off, hoping to attract genuine art lovers.

Ritika will be  hosting a Gond painting workshop on January 14, 11 am at Title Waves, Bandra
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