An artwork from the exhibition; Sundeep Bahndari
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A tweak in composition and colour palette can give a tribal artwork a new look, in an attempt to appeal to a market that seeks to buy art that is rooted yet contemporary. MŪL - The Origin, showcasing 50 artworks by 12 artists representing Gond, Bhil, Warli and Naga tribes, reflects this shift. MŪL is Gondwana Art Project’s first exhibition in Hyderabad, in collaboration with Art Connect, and is hosted at Spirit Connect, near Ramanaidu Studios, Film Nagar.Sundeep Bhandari, founder of Gondwana Art Project, reveals that there has been a steady clientele from Hyderabad for the tribal-meets-contemporary artworks since the pandemic.The Gondwana Art Project was established in 2019, as an extension of the Craft and Community Development Foundation he had launched a few years earlier. The initial focus was on Gond, one of India’s largest tribal artforms, and this later expanded to include Warli and Bhil artists. “A fatigue factor had set in among tribal and folk art. There was room for innovation, while staying true to the ethos of the native art form,” says Sundeep.
An artwork from Gondwana Art Project’s repository
