Karpoori Devi

Last updated

Karpoori Devi (1929- 30 July 2019) [1] was an Indian folk artist, painting in the Madhubani art tradition and creating textile art in the Sujni tradition. She belonged to an early generation of artists who sold Madhubani art with critical and commercial success, and her work has been archived in collections in India as well as Japan, Australia, and the United States of America.

Contents

Career

Devi was taught Madhubani art techniques by her mother, and spent her early childhood painting on floors and walls made with dried cow dung. [2] Her formal education was limited to early schooling. [3]

Devi belonged to an early generation of Madhubani (sometimes known as Mithila) artists who gained public recognition for their work and style of art. [4] Lalit Narayan Mishra, a Minister in the government led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, advocated for the preservation of the Madhubani art tradition, drawing on his personal roots in the region, and Indira Gandhi herself was known to appreciate Devi's art herself. [2] At the encouragement of Mishra, Gandhi established a branch of the All India' Crafts Council in the Madhubani region in Bihar. [5] The Crafts Council encouraged artists like Devi to move their work from floors and walls, onto handmade paper, which enabled them to sell these paintings. [6] Devi encountered social resistance to her work in the early years, particularly in relation to social taboos concerning women in the public sphere. [3] In an interview, Devi stated she initially painted in secret for two years, because of disapproval from her husband's family regarding her art. [5]

In addition to the Madhubani style, Devi was also skilled in the techniques of Sujni art, a lesser-known folk style in which traditional motifs and patterns are embroidered on cloth by hand. [4] [7] Her work in Madhubani art was a mix of the 'kachni' (line drawing) and 'bharni' (coloured styles). Although the use of these styles was traditionally confined to members of a particular caste, Devi's work transcended social boundaries by embracing both. [2] [3]

Devi's work was repeatedly exhibited in Japan, where the establishment of a Mithila Art Museum allowed her to share her work. She visited Japan nine times over the course of her career, beginning in 1987, and worked at the Museum to create art, and teach techniques, along with fellow Madhubani artist, Mahasundari Devi. [4] Her works have also been exhibited in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and France and is collected there in museums and private collections. [4] [6] Her work was featured in an exhibition titled 'Painting is my Everything', at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, as part of an exhibit on Madhubani art. [8] Sujni-style embroidered panels made by Devi are a part of the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia. [9]

Devi won multiple awards from the state government of Bihar and the union government of India during the course of her career, including the National Award for Sujni art in 1986 by the Ministry of Textiles, Union Government; a Bihar state art award for her work in Madhubani art in 1980, and a state government award for 'Best Craftsman' in 1983. [4] [10]

Devi maintained a close professional and collaborative relationship with fellow Madhubani artist, Mahasundari Devi, who was also her sister-in-law. [3] [11] In addition to teaching her daughter the traditional art techniques of Madhubani and Sujani art, Devi mentored and taught Dulari Devi, a Padma Shri award-winning Madhubani artist. [12] [3]

Personal life

Karpoori Devi was born and lived in the village of Ranti, in the Madhubani district of the state of Bihar. Her daughter, Moti Karn, is also a Madhubani artist. [4] Her husband, Krishkant Das, also taught art in Ranti, Bihar. [2] She died in 2019 after a prolonged illness. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darbhanga</span> City in Bihar, India

Darbhanga is the fifth largest city and municipal corporation in the state of Bihar in India, and is considered an important city in North Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Darbhanga district and the Darbhanga division. It is held that the name Darbhanga has been derived from Dwar Banga or Dari – Banga, meaning the 'door of Bengal'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madhubani art</span> Indian/Nepalese style of painting

Madhubani art is a style of painting practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It is named after the Madhubani district of Bihar, India, which is where it originated. Artists create these paintings using a variety of mediums, including their own fingers, or twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks. The paint is created using natural dyes and pigments. The paintings are characterised by their eye-catching geometrical patterns. There is ritual content for particular occasions, such as birth or marriage, and festivals, such as Holi, Surya Shasti, Kali Puja, Upanayana, and Durga Puja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madhubani district</span> District in Bihar, India

Madhubani district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar, India, and is a part of Darbhanga division. Its administrative headquarters are located in Madhubani. The district has an area of 3,501 square kilometres (1,352 sq mi) and has a population of 4,487,379.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karpoori Thakur</span> Indian politician (1924–1988)

Karpoori Thakur was an Indian politician who served two terms as the 11th Chief Minister of Bihar, first from December 1970 to June 1971, and then from June 1977 to April 1979. He was popularly known as Jan Nayak. On 26 January 2024, he was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, by the Government of India. This was announced by the President of India Draupadi Murmu on 23 January 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahasundari Devi</span> Indian artist

Mahasundari Devi was an Indian artist and Madhubani painter. She was awarded the Tulsi Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1995, and in 2011 she received the Padma Shri award from the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uchhaith</span> Hindu Ancient Temple in Mithila

Uchchaith is a village in Madhubani District, Bihar, India. There is a temple of the Goddess Durga without head known as Uchchaith Bhagwati in this village. In mythological stories she is known as Banadevi. It is said that many legendary Maharishis have passed through Uchchaith during their journey to the Himalayas or on their way to Janakpur, the capital of Mithila. These include many sages like Maharishi Kapila, Kaṇāda, Gautam, Gemini, Pundarik, Lomas, etc.

Ganga Devi was an Indian painter, considered by many as one of the leading exponents of Madhubani painting tradition. She is credited with popularizing the Madhubani painting outside India. She was born in 1928 in Mithila in the Indian state of Bihar in a Kayastha family and took to the traditional painting craft, specialising in the kachni style. She traveled abroad with her art and was a part of the Festival of India in the United States, which yielded a number of paintings under the title, America series, including Moscow Hotel, Festival of American Folk Life, and Ride in a Roller Coaster. The Government of India awarded her the National Master Craftsman Award and followed it up with the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1984.

Bharti Dayal is an Indian artist who specializes in Madhubani art.

Godawari Dutta is an Indian painter, well known for Madhubani Painting and patron of Mithila Kala Vikas Samiti. She was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baua Devi</span> Bihar artist

Baua Devi is a Mithila painting artist from Jitwarpur village of Madhubani District in Bihar. Mithila painting is an ancient folk art that originated in the region. It is recognized as a series of complex geometric and linear patterns traced on the walls of a house's inner chambers. It was later transferred to handmade paper and canvases. Baua Devi won the National Award in 1984 and received the Padma Shri in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruma Devi</span> Indian fashion designer (born 1989)

Ruma Devi, is an Indian social worker, fashion designer and traditional handicraft artist from Barmer, Rajasthan. Ruma devi received the “Nari Shakti Puraskar 2018” the highest civilian honour for Women in India. She is associated with a network of over 30,000 rural women, trained them and linked them to the livelihood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dulari Devi (artist)</span> Indian folk Madhubani artist

Dulari Devi is an Indian artist and illustrator, working in the Mithila art tradition. In 2021, she was a recipient of the Padma Shri, a civilian honour granted by the Government of India, for her contributions to art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mithila Makhana</span> Special Foods of Mithila

Mithila Makhana is a special variety of aquatic fox nut cultivated in Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal. In Mithila, Makhana is also termed as Makhan. It is one of the three prestigious cultural identities of Mithila: Pond, Fish and Makhan "पग-पग पोखर, माछ, मखान ". It is also famous in Kojagara festival of Maithil Brahmins and Kaysath celebrated for newly married couples. Makhana contains protein and fiber, along with micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phulhar</span> First meeting place of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita

Phulhar is an ancient historical site in Madhubani district of Mithila region of Bihar, India. It is the place where Lord Rama and Goddess Sita first time met. It was a flower garden of King Janaka of Mithila. A very famous temple of Goddess Bhagwati known as Girija Sthan is situated here. This place is mentioned in many Hindu texts of the ancient India. This place has been recognised by the Government of Bihar in 2020 as tourist centre for Hindu pilgrims. This place is related to Lord Rama.

<i>Lord Vishnu Statue, Bairwa, Madhwapur</i> Statue in Madhwapur, Madhubani

The Lord Vishnu Statue in Biarwa is an ancient statue of Lord Vishnu.

Sita Devi (1914–2005) was an Indian artist, specializing in painting in the Madhubani tradition. She is one of the most well-known Madhubani artists from India, and was one of the first to receive national recognition for the art form, receiving a number of awards for her work including the Padma Shri in 1981, as well as the Bihar Ratna Samman in 1984. She was influential in activism for local development in her village of Jitwarpur, in the state of Bihar, and taught Madhubani art to local residents, especially women, during her career in an effort to encourage financial stability. Her paintings have been praised for their individual style, particularly their use of color, have been widely exhibited, and are archived in India as well as in museums in France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Upendra Maharathi was an Indian artist who worked in various mediums including painting, sculpture, illustration, architecture, graphic design, and textile design. He was born in the village of Narendrapur in Odisha and received his art education at the Government College of Art & Craft in Kolkata under Mukul Dey and Percy Brown. After completing his studies, he settled in Bihar. His more than 900 works have been preserved by the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi.

Saharghat is a semi urban panchayat in Madhwapur block of Madhubani district in Mithila region of Bihar, India. It is connected by National Highway 104 and State Highway 75 with different parts of the major cities in the state of Bihar, India and Madhesh Pradesh province of Nepal. The village comes under Harlakhi Assembly constituency and Madhubani Lok Sabha constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishwamitra Ashram, Bisaul</span> Vishwamitra Gurukul of the Ancient Mithila University

Vishwamitra Ashram at Bisaul village of Madhubani district in the Mithila region of Bihar was the residence place related to the Vedic sage Vishwamitra in Ramayana. It is located near the capital city Janakpur of ancient Mithila Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shringi Rishi Ashram, Singiya</span> Ashram of Shringi Rishi in Mithila

Shringi Rishi Ashram at Singiya Village of Madhubani district in the Mithila region of Bihar is an ancient Ashram related to the Vedic sage Shringi in Ramayana. In the campus of Ashram there is a famous Lord Shiva temple known as Shringeshwar Mahadev Mandir.

References

  1. ↑ "Karpuri Devi, the eminent Mithila painting artist and creator of Mithila Museum in Japan passes away - Hindustan Times". 2023-04-09. Archived from the original on 2023-04-09. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "कर्पूरी देवी: मधुबनी पेंटिंग काे दी अंतर्राष्‍ट्रीय पहचान, सात दशक की कला यात्रा पर लगा विराम". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "स्मृति शेष: यूं ही नहीं दुनियाभर में छा गयी थीं कर्पूरी". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Karpuri Devi, the eminent Mithila painting artist and creator of Mithila Museum in Japan passes away". Hindustan Times. 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  5. 1 2 "Mithila, Museums, and Memories: Travels in Bihar". The Maxwell School of Syracuse University. 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  6. 1 2 Tripathi, Shailaja (2013-11-22). "Madhubani beyond the living rooms". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  7. ↑ Balasubramaniam, Chitra (2019-06-20). "Sujni, equally elegant twin of Kantha". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  8. ↑ "'Painting is my Everything': Art from India's Mithila region" (PDF). Asian Art Museum.
  9. ↑ "Artists: Karpoori Devi". National Gallery of Victoria.
  10. ↑ "मधुबनी पेंटिंग की शिल्पी कर्पूरी देवी का निधन". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  11. ↑ "Madhubani art veteran Karpuri Devi dies at 94". Outlook India. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  12. ↑ "बिहार के दो दलित जिन्हें मिला पद्म श्री, जानें किस कला में हैं माहिर, 74 साल से नाच रहे हैं मांझी". Jansatta (in Hindi). 2021-01-30. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  13. ↑ "मधुबनी पेंटिंग की विख्यात शिल्पी कर्पूरी देवी का निधन, BJP नेता गिरिराज सिंह ने यूं दी श्रद्धांजलि". NDTVIndia. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.