“Tribal communities of India”

The curse of coronavirus is now telling the world what our indigenous tribal communities have been saying for centuries – that if we do not protect our biodiversity and learn to live with nature, then we will face many such and worse future threats. While we are learning to live in the “new normal” of lockdowns, facemasks and quarantines, it would do us a helluva lot of good to pause and learn some true lessons of living from our tribal brethren.

Home to the largest tribal population in the world, India has the privilege of hosting a variety of truly diverse, colourful indigenous people with various fascinating lineages. “The digital age of information has brought with it heightened materialism and wastefulness too, which seems to have consumed the urban population, turning them into market-driven beings of a rather one-dimensional nature; but there are perks to living in such an explicitly dual country. Living in complete juxtaposition to our cubicle ways, is an equally  vibrant and culturally rich India (with its tribal communities) whose lifestyles, culture, religious beliefs, traditions, rituals, dressing, food, language are so far removed from the rest of our country, they represent an anthropological wealth of heritage.”, says journalist Rhea Almeida.

Presenting before you some of my tablet paintings and sketches of these amazing tribal communities of India who epitomise the art of living in nature with nature. Each painting or sketch is accompanied by a brief write-up of some their unique culture, way of living, costumes, traditions and the like.