Warli Painting

Warli

The Warlis or Varlis are an indigenous tribe or Adivasis, living in Mountainous as well as coastal areas of Maharashtra-Gujarat border and surrounding areas.They have their own animistic beliefs,life,customs and traditions,as a result of acculturation they have adopted many Hindu beliefs. The Warlis speak an unwritten Varli language which belong to the southern zone of the Indo-Aryan languages.

History and Religion

Warli is the name of a tribe, which resides in Thane district of Maharashtra on the northern outskirts of Mumbai and extends up to the Gujarat border. They are spread out in the villages named Dahanu, Talasari, Mokhada, Vada, Palghara and several other parts of the district as well. The origin of the warlis is yet unknown and no records of this art are found, but many scholars and folklorists believe that it can be traced to as early as tenth century A.D when man learnt to build walls of the house. This art was eventually discovered in the early seventies, and became popular for its unique simplicity and fervor for life.

Symbolism

Helical shapes of men and women and concentric circular designs in Warli Paintings are symbols of the circle of life, in fact most of these apparently simple paintings abound in symbolization. The harmony and balance portrayed in these paintings is thought to mean the harmony and balance of the universe of discourse.

Rhythm
The everyday life of a village interrupted only by the peeping of birds. Cold nights around bonfires with merry making men and women, the gurgle of streams that flow by the Warli hamlets, a shepherd playing a native instrument….This is the rhythm of the Warli way of life and its beautifully captured in simple understated images in white.