JOGI ART

Jogi Art is possibly the only indigenous art form which can be categorised as a contemporary genre, given its genesis. Over the last five decades, Ganesh and Teju Jogi and their six children have developed a unique visual vocabulary that has over the years been codified into a recognisable art form practised only by the Jogi family. Once nomadic bards, the Jogi family travelled from place to place singing devotional folk songs. In the 1970s Indian cultural anthropologist, Haku Shah on meeting them suggested they draw their songs, thus ushering the genesis of Jogi art. Hailing from the western Indian state of Rajasthan, the Jogi family’s works illustrate the dualities and contradictions of their lifestyle. Featuring elements of their daily life, the works depict cities and villages, tradition and modernity, freedom and oppression and other aspects of their existence. Using a ballpoint pen and paper and employing dots and lines, the works are minimalist in their approach yet exude a depth of narrative with is both telling and aesthetically refreshing. Illustrative in nature, a closer look reflects stories and scenes, where the line between the real and imaginary blurs.