The Untapped Wealth Of Indian Tribal Art Forms

Indian tribal art is a part and parcel of this multivariate heritage and throws up beautiful insights into human nature and lifestyle amongst Indian tribes of those ages.

 The art forms included paintings which are an integral part of the tribal tradition and often mirrored the lifestyle and traditions of the era. They were replete with the fairs, festivals, gods& goddesses, the bonding and social dynamics that was prevalent in those times.

 They often carried a streak of simplicity and ingenuity and animated the immortal charm of life. The tribal art forms itself had different genres and divisions originating from different parts of India, mostly from the states of Orissa, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Bihar/Jharkand etc. The notable art forms being Tanjore, Madhubani, Patachitra and Rajasthan Miniature ones.

 Moreover, the regional dances of India, such as the Bhangra dance of Punjab, the Dandiya of Gujarat, the Bihu dance of Assam, etc, which project the cultural heritage of those regions, are prominent contenders in the field of Indian folk art. These folk dances are performed by people to express their celebration at every possible event or occasion, such as the arrival of seasons, the birth of a child, weddings, festivals, etc.

 Centuries have passed and the Indian folk & tribal art form has retained its 'romance and enigmatic charm’ but has become a tiny niche and appeals to a very narrow segment of audience. The abundance of riches in folk and tribal art has received universal appreciation, following and is a fact well known. It will also not be far from the truth that it has so much variety that it can appeal to a wider platform of individuals and people across ethnicities. The Indian government has also been taking steps to conserve and promote it.

 They key here is of course to get a wider Diaspora interested in it directly or indirectly. Indian art as mentioned before is a razzmatazz of various different elements -art music dance forms. Each of these has a story, an insight behind that can be used to create engaging entertaining forms.

 Children and teens also form a segment that has never been exposed to much of ancient art forms these days. The Gen Y has been hooked to the world of gaming, animation and movies with pyrotechnics and the Indian folk art has enough pizazz if delivered in more interesting and fascinating mediums

One such example would be 'Music Binds All'- a 45 second animated short movie made by an innovative 'out of the box' digital media company called Mlab ,which is building a community (vibrantribes.com) to promote folk & tribal art in contemporary formats.

 This endeavor is to ‘resurrect’ folk art and take it to another level where it is more interactive, and where it can appeal to more people.