Hase-chittra workshop at ICG

THE EVENT

organizer:    Sadhanalaya

coordinator:   Sahil Isani — MES College.

Host:            The international Center Goa/

The Origin

Like many of the Tribal Arts of the world, Hase Chitra was originally done for special occasions such as weddings, festivals and auspicious days. The overall theme is usually centred on the Celebration of Nature in different avatars.

Hase Chitra embodies the spirit of togetherness and community where all members of the community come together to decorate their spaces. A joint endeavour between adults and children, the art is owned by the community.

The Artist

The artist Mr. Radhakrishna Bandagadde is an accomplished artist from Sagar taluka. He has done this painting along with his PhD student, Kantiraj from Hampi University. His specialty is experimenting with the combinations and integration of Hase Chitra with Tribal Art from Mexico and Africa, using common symbols that cut across the seas and continents.

Occasions
This art takes place in marriages and festivals (bhoomi hunnime habba).In bhoomi hunnime festival women decorate the bamboo baskets with this art. The base has been prepared by applying the mixture of red earth (kemmannu)and cow dung on the basket. They draw hase chitra by using finely grounded rice flour on this basket.
The common motifs are seete mudi,bhattada saalu, kuchhu saalu,maduve pallakki,dibbana hakkigalu, ettugalu,tirugu mane,gombe saalu,banave etc which has been taken from daily life .
In the marriage ceremony Hase chitra is drawn on the wall where the ritual takes place.

Patterns and Techniques

The lines and patterns on these paintings are an infinite combination of simple geometric shapes. The triangle, the square, the circle and a straight line are the basis of every drawing. And, a simple combination of these 4 basics can offer an infinite range of symbols, ranging from the symbol of women’s empowerment (Sita Mudi) to an intricate border surrounding the celebration of new beginnings.

The subtle use of optical illusion draws the viewer in and the patterns formed are unique-often derived from the personality of the Home. All the drawings are done in free hand and within the simple imperfections, lie the very beauty of this art. Lines are drawn by strings dipped in the paint and the expert eye always wins over the expert scale.

The Medium

The medium is primarily Mud Paint made from different soils available in wide range of colours red, brown, yellow, white and myriad shades. The subtle differences in the soil colours of various regions originally also helped to distinguish one family or clan from another.

The materials used for this art are all natural based, using natural sources such as bark of trees, wild berries, seeds, rocks, minerals, and vegetables. Kemmannu (red earth), akki hittu (rice flour), masi kenda (coal), kaare kai (a berry), guragekaai hittu (which gives yellow colour), sunna (lime stone), turmeric, milk, etc. has been used to prepare white, black, red and yellow natural colours.

Brush
To draw the lines the community use a natural brush made by grass straw and a natural fiber .Artists today who have learnt the art from the community use brushes..
The original brush:
Our artisan Kanne from Siddapura,Uttara kannada uses this hand-made natural brush which is considered the original way of painting in this community .

They use straw and a natural fiber to make brush. The fiber will be inserted in the straw and tie a knot to keep it on place.

Follow -UP

International Centre Goa–   http://www.internationalcentregoa.com/ —   hosts the exhibition of the workshop output and a follow up workshop from April 26th onwards. People interested can put in your names, queries on the comment section of the blog.