<p>Pichwais are intricate works of art executed on cloth or paper that illustrate stories from the life of Lord Krishna. Developed initially as decorative curtains providing a background for the Shrinathji, a form of Krishna, the traditional art form over the years has struggled to keep pace with changing times.<br /><br /></p>.<p>However, Delhi-based art enthusiast Pooja Singhal has been working closely with the artisans for the past five years to revive the craft. And a result of her unrelenting support to the shrinking community is on full display at an ongoing exhibition ‘Revival of Pichwai Art’ where contemporary interpretations of the form are visible.<br /><br />“I have grown up with the art form and since we are third-generation industrialists, our family has a lot of philanthropic interests. There used to be a time when there were around 3,000 artists, now we have mere 200. <br /><br />And out of those around 40 are good ones,” Singhal tells Metrolife.<br /><br />Someone who has grown up with this art form and went to Nathdwara, near Udaipur in Rajasthan, often during her childhood, Singhal tried to get hold of a good Pichwai artists a few years back and it was then she realised how the traditional form is suffering, as the artists have failed to adapt.<br />So she identified the artisans she would like to work with and started commissioning the works. She adopted ateliers where a master works with a few apprentices. The need of the hour was to contemporaries the craft and she started directing them and worked on scaling down the artwork.<br /><br />“The original Pichwai works were quite huge, so the first thing I worked on was to bring down the scale by 60 percent. We also started using smaller size of paper,” she adds.<br /><br />Singhal is trying to bring back earlier compositions by staying true to the original styles and techniques. She does help them with visual references, but gives the artists the freedom to interpret the folk art in their own manner.<br /><br />“Each artist has a different style and we give them the freedom to explore,” she says.<br />Singhal also feels that individual art patrons have to come out and support India’s cultural heritage as bureaucrats have a different approach for arts.<br /><br />“A single person’s passion is far more important than dealing with cumbersome bureaucratic approach towards arts,” she says.<br /></p>
<p>Pichwais are intricate works of art executed on cloth or paper that illustrate stories from the life of Lord Krishna. Developed initially as decorative curtains providing a background for the Shrinathji, a form of Krishna, the traditional art form over the years has struggled to keep pace with changing times.<br /><br /></p>.<p>However, Delhi-based art enthusiast Pooja Singhal has been working closely with the artisans for the past five years to revive the craft. And a result of her unrelenting support to the shrinking community is on full display at an ongoing exhibition ‘Revival of Pichwai Art’ where contemporary interpretations of the form are visible.<br /><br />“I have grown up with the art form and since we are third-generation industrialists, our family has a lot of philanthropic interests. There used to be a time when there were around 3,000 artists, now we have mere 200. <br /><br />And out of those around 40 are good ones,” Singhal tells Metrolife.<br /><br />Someone who has grown up with this art form and went to Nathdwara, near Udaipur in Rajasthan, often during her childhood, Singhal tried to get hold of a good Pichwai artists a few years back and it was then she realised how the traditional form is suffering, as the artists have failed to adapt.<br />So she identified the artisans she would like to work with and started commissioning the works. She adopted ateliers where a master works with a few apprentices. The need of the hour was to contemporaries the craft and she started directing them and worked on scaling down the artwork.<br /><br />“The original Pichwai works were quite huge, so the first thing I worked on was to bring down the scale by 60 percent. We also started using smaller size of paper,” she adds.<br /><br />Singhal is trying to bring back earlier compositions by staying true to the original styles and techniques. She does help them with visual references, but gives the artists the freedom to interpret the folk art in their own manner.<br /><br />“Each artist has a different style and we give them the freedom to explore,” she says.<br />Singhal also feels that individual art patrons have to come out and support India’s cultural heritage as bureaucrats have a different approach for arts.<br /><br />“A single person’s passion is far more important than dealing with cumbersome bureaucratic approach towards arts,” she says.<br /></p>
