SMC 22

MATA NI PACHEDI. ARTIST IS SANJAY MANNU BHAI CHITARA. Mata Ni Pachedis are paintings that depict Goddess Durga in her various incarnations. It is especially practised by the Vaghris of Gujarat. Also known as Mata na Chandarvo, these paintings literally mean ‘behind the Goddess’ and are displayed behind idols of Durga in temples and shrines. This contemporary version of the 300-year-old traditional painting is unique, to say the least. Sanjay Mannu Bhai has shrunk the otherwise complex and large composition to this minimal scene and the focus has shifted to Krishna with gopis. The style of drawing the figures and their ornamentation is typical of the traditional style of painting. But the overall composition is new. Curved lines render the empty spaces with an abstract landscape and clouds. Due to the composition being laid out in planned registers in the traditional format, the spatial use of the cloth is rather restricted. Here the figures seem to be dancing on the paper. The revelry and play in the image are enhanced by the relaxed layout of the composition.