Art inspired by nature & culture

Nestled in the green pockets of Sagara taluk, Shivamogga district, is the quiet community of Deevaru, whose main occupation is farming. Toiling in their farms during the day, they come back home in the evenings looking for avenues to express their creativity, and bond with the other members of their community. And, what better way to do it than engaging themselves in chittara art, an indigenous art form distinct to their community.

Celebration of life

The age-old art of chittara, traditionally known as hase gode chitra, involves intricate, geometric patterns. It is not only a way of life for the women of this agrarian community, but also a celebration of all things natural, artistic and beautiful. It is so much a part of their lives that no celebration is complete without chittara art. The walls of houses, arati trays, pots used for various purposes... they are all adorned with chittara art. With attractive designs, aesthetic appeal, and the precision of work involved, chittara art is no less than a marvel. Passed down from one generation to the next effortlessly, this art form is not taught, but learnt. Since it is so much a part of their lives, the women of this community hardly recognised its value. For them, it was no more than a pastime, a distraction, and a means of engaging themselves in a friendly banter with the other women of their community.

And, it would have remained so, hidden from the outside world, if not for the entry of Geetha Bhat. Well, there lies the story.

Geetha, whose interest in folk arts traces back to her childhood, once chanced upon chittara art in an exhibition at Chitrakala Parishat, Bengaluru. Fascinated by the art form, she interacted with the artistes and realised the value the Deevaru community attached to it. She then toured villages around Sagara, Sirsi, Shivamogga and Soraba to learn more about the art form.

“Chittara involves the drawing of straight lines in symmetric fashion, requiring an understanding of ratios and proportions. The very fact that illiterate women were doing it, effortlessly, left me amazed. It seemed as if every cell in their body had art in them. The way they kept their houses, the hostilu (threshold), the rangolis they drew, the colour combinations they used... It was simply unbelievable,” says Geetha, reminiscing the first few days of her introduction to the lifestyle of Deevaru community, and the chittara art.

“Above all else, I was taken in by the community feeling the art form fostered, and the significance it held for them. After a hard day’s toil in the fields, they assemble at the house where chittara art needs to be done, be it on the walls, or on trays and baskets, prepare the colours, draw patterns, sing folk songs, and talk, talk and talk, till late in the night.

The ‘we’ feeling that they so much enjoy is what attracted me the most to this art form,” she adds.
“Another significant aspect of chittara art is its eco-friendly nature. Being the worshippers of nature, they use only natural ingredients for chittara. While ropes and threads take the place of rulers for measurement, ground rice paste is used for white colour, roasted rice for black, red earth for red, and gurige seeds for yellow. This is not all. When it comes to the painting brush, strands of jute, known locally as pundi naaru, are used,” says Geetha.

Completely smitten by her brush with chittara, Geetha came back to Bengaluru and continued her research on the art form. So much so that she had material enough to present research papers at international seminars on indigenous art forms. “I felt it was high time the world learnt about the richness of this art form. It was almost like a rare, hidden gem that needed to be shown to the world, and appreciated,” she adds.

So, presentations in conferences of repute, in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan followed, where the art form was hailed for its significance, beauty and appeal. Buoyed by the positive response the art form was receiving, Geetha felt more needed to be done to preserve the art form, leading to the birth of the Center for Revival of Indigenous Art (CFRIA), a voluntary non-profit organisation committed to preserving and reviving indigenous art practices in Karnataka. This was in 2008. She was ably supported in her endeavour by Mohan Chadragutti, a doctorate in Deevaru culture from Hampi University.

In its effort to popularise this art form further, CFRIA conducts regular workshops in Bengaluru, thrice a year, when the artistes are free from their farming responsibilities. “Classes get a good response as people are slowly warming up to the indigenous art practices of our State. The artistes also enjoy teaching the art form,” says Geetha, reminding me of my encounter with Lakshmavva, an exponent of chittara art, during one such workshop, where she had said, “Chittara art is a source of great joy, beauty and creativity for us. It is very gratifying to teach people interested in this art form.”

Preserving a tradition

CFRIA’s efforts towards creating awareness about this art form has seen exhibitions and workshops being held in various venues across Bengaluru and Chennai. Also, various crafts made by the women of Deevaru community, like paddy thoranas and lampshades, cane baskets and trays with chittara paintings on them, were introduced at various sales outlets in Bengaluru. No wonder, the appeal of this art form has slowly reached various nooks and corners of the country, leading to people taking up projects on chittara.

Commissioned works are also aplenty, including items of home decor, in silk, with chittara paintings on them, being in demand in Geneva and France. Closer home, art aficionados are now getting wedding invitations designed with chittara drawings on them, and even commissioning chittara art on wedding sarees. “It is heartening to note that people are now valuing this art form immensely. Anything to ensure that the artistes get their due,” says Geetha.

For 38-year-old Padmavathi Sathyappa of Gademane in Kanle village, CFRIA has proved to be a window to the outside world. In her own words, “I realised the value of chittara art only because of CFRIA. Geetha Madam’s appreciation for my work has served as a morale booster for me. It has shown me that I can also do something of value.”

As with most other indigenous art forms, chittara too suffers from the apathy of the younger generation, who migrate to cities in search of employment. CFRIA sees this as a serious threat to the age-old art form. “CFRIA now aims to make the art form financially viable so that the youth take it up seriously and preserve it for generations to come,” adds Geetha.

As a step in this direction, CFRIA now plans to set up a community centre to teach, promote and showcase the arts and crafts made by the Deevaru community; archive relevant information about the art; promote rural tourism by constructing cottages modelled on Deevaru’s traditional houses; set up a museum displaying items of aesthetic and educational value; and build an amphitheatre to encourage the performances of folk arts, all in Sagara.

“Our ultimate aim is to impart the necessary skills to the community members so that these projects are self-sustaining and chittara art is revived and preserved,” adds Geetha.