Nurturing Walls
October 25 – November 22, 2008; Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, London.
John Berger, reputed writer, art critic and friend of Tara, opened the exhibition. Watch a video of his warm introduction or read the transcript.
The Art Never seen before outside the walls of Meena villages in Rajasthan, the Mandana tradition of painting is practiced by the women of the Meena tribe. Handed down from mother to daughter, this stunning public art is a community tradition, done by women on the mud walls and floors of their homes, keeping time with recurring festivals and the changing seasons. Both graphic and decorative, iconic yet full of individual character, the themes are joyful celebrations of their daily lives and experiences: birds, animals, farm life, nature. Amazingly, these women turn this everyday world into art that touches other mysterious realms, creating a brilliant tribute to the female imagination.
John Berger, reputed writer, art critic and friend of Tara, opened the exhibition. Watch a video of his warm introduction or read the transcript.
The Art Never seen before outside the walls of Meena villages in Rajasthan, the Mandana tradition of painting is practiced by the women of the Meena tribe. Handed down from mother to daughter, this stunning public art is a community tradition, done by women on the mud walls and floors of their homes, keeping time with recurring festivals and the changing seasons. Both graphic and decorative, iconic yet full of individual character, the themes are joyful celebrations of their daily lives and experiences: birds, animals, farm life, nature. Amazingly, these women turn this everyday world into art that touches other mysterious realms, creating a brilliant tribute to the female imagination.
The Book
A work of art itself, Nurturing Walls merges two distinct processes of production. Selected images have been silk-screen printed by hand onto textured brown paper recreating the feel of walls. Each of these pages is an original print. To complete the experience, photographs of the artists at work have been inserted into the way the book unfolds, making the book as unique as the form it celebrates. Incisive essays put the art into context, exploring alternative art traditions, artisanship, women’s lives, community and public art.