Madhubani

Madhubani art originated in the villages of Bihar's Mithila region. The art form was characterised by painting the walls and courtyards, which was tied to rituals, done ahead of weddings, festivals, or whenever a new bride was about to step into the house. Madhubani artists draw figures with bold, unbroken double outlines, and the background is always filled with unique images and vibrant colours. Mostly, the images of fish, peacocks, florals or geometric borders are drawn. 

According to traditional beliefs and folklore, these paintings brought good luck and kept harm away. There's an old story that King Janaka once had his artists paint the walls for his daughter Sita's wedding to Lord Rama, and that's often pointed to as the tradition's starting point.

Colours, traditionally made from turmeric, soot, cow dung and flower petals, are applied flat without shading, giving the work a striking, almost stained-glass quality. The themes for this genre of painting are heavily inspired by the characters and events of Hindu mythology. Other than that, Nature’s treasures and everyday scenes of harvests, courtships and village deities like Durga and Krishna are also part of the theme.