C is for CHITRAKAR

PB110022
Originally uploaded by dalbhat.

Chitrakars are folk artists living in Medinipur, West Bengal. Everyone in the village holds the last name Chitakar! This group of artists, also known as patuas, have for many generations painted scrolls (patas) designed to be unrolled while the story accompanying the pictures is sung. The patas are sheets of paper of equal or different sizes sewn together and painted. Natural colors are often still used. Traditionally the scrolls told religious stories but in recent times the artists have added historical events, ecological disasters, and commentary on social issues. Karuna Chitrakar, pictured here, recently made a pata about the Tsunami. While most of the patuas are men, there are also quite a few women artists, like Karuna.