Taking inspiration from history

Unique hobbies

Anushree Padmanabha painted Warli on
Pattri Satish Kumar's Mridangam

Exploring the creative side of oneself is what Anushree Padmanabha does with the hobby of ‘Warli arts’.

Anushree, who is also a singer and dancer, is into the art for five years now. “Warli arts originate from a tribe in Maharashtra. I simply took it up one day. I enjoyed exploring and creating new things, and that is how it all started,” she says.

Creating wonders with a normal painting brush, she affirms that ‘Warli’ is the most simple and elegant form of art with a lot of history.
“It looks elegant on tiles, walls, musical instruments. you name it,” she adds.

She says that she got comfortable with the art in her first attempt. “I experimented and took hours together to finish it,” she says.

Anushree started publishing her works four months ago.

“The response has been great. People share and appreciate my artworks. I have been getting many orders recently,” she says.

When asked about the inspiration for her ideas, she shares “Internet surfing helps a lot. I watch different YouTube videos and read up blogs. Learning the history of Warli arts also helps me customise the ideas.”

The artist gets all the required supplies from a shop on Avenue road. She also sends her artworks to different countries. “I paint on a canvas and ship it to them. They get it framed,” she says.

Warli arts is mostly repetitive as it draws inspiration from nature, animals and life. It has repetitive figures and designs, but Anushree gives a different touch to it. She has tried her hand at innovating something different, which includes her take on ‘The Trinity of Carnatic music’. Having made four replicas of it, she brings out something new in it, every time.

She recently painted on the Mridangam of Carnatic vocalist Patri Satish Kumar. “It is my favourite artwork,” she shares.

Her mother is her partner as she helps her with everything, from fetching the raw materials to choosing the colours. She follows a theme for every piece, making it unique.
“I pick the design based on the place. If I am called by a music institution, I put in music elements in my paintings and so on,” she adds.

All her designs, she says, depends on the theme and space. “Bigger designs need a week’s time, whereas smaller ones can be done in 2-4 days time,” she
says.

“I enjoy doing it. Warli awakens the creative side in me and keeps me busy,” Anushree shares when asked about her managing time amidst her music and dance classes.

Anushree also now welcomes interns and teaches them the art. You can find her artworks on ‘The Warli Tales’ on Facebook and Instagram. Anushree can also be contacted at [e-mail]​