SHANTARAM RAJA GORKHANA-- WARLI ART-Maharashtra-India-rural-rituals-festivities-tarpa-music-dance-hunting-tiger (SRG 03)

This is a Warli art piece by the painter Shanta Raja Gorkhana. It is filled with elements of life in the Warli community. There is an air of celebration in the work as the Tarpa Dance in the center is the main theme of the painting. Tarpa dancers are wearing anklet bells which are providing a musical rhythm to the entire landscape during the night time. During festivities and celebrations villagers hold hands and dance around in a spiral pattern. The artist incorporates motifs from Warli iconography generously in his paintings like the tiger hunting, waiting under the palm tree for the prey to be handy, a couple with the oil torch running around, a man is also dancing with a horse body sculpture around his waist. Warli art is traditionally created with rice paste on a canvas covered with mud or cow dung. These days artists have also started using modern mediums.