Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, University of Hyderabad, organized a special lecture series on “Mithila’s Female Artists Paint Issues of Social Justice and Gender” on 14th October 2021 by Prof. Susan Snow Wadley, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, Syracuse University, USA.
Prof. Ajailiu Niumai, Head, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy chaired the event. Prof. Wadley delved into the insightful evolution of Mithila paintings over the years and it’s major two styles i.e. Brahmin and Kachini styles. She spoke about the role of several westerners, indigenous people and institutions in propagating the art of Madhubani paintings to various parts of the world like Japan, USA and the like. She asserted that it is a source of empowerment for indigenous women.
Prof. Wadley then threw light on feminist orientation of these beautiful Madhubani paintings which vividly documented the social ills faced by women and made an appeal to challenge the patriarchal norms of the society.
The Mithila paintings despite its existence dating back to 14thCentury subtly threw light on social concerns like gender inequality particularly dowry, female infanticide, abortion,patriarchy and the like. Mithila paintings made powerful calls for gender equality, fertility and the like. It is an astonishment that these paintings have never aged as it seeks to raise gender inequalities and injustice that exists in the Indian society.
Image Description: A Mithila painting on Female Infanticide
An array of paintings was shown by the guest speaker wherein the meanings and aesthetics was explained in detail to the audience comprising of renowned academicians like Prof. Geraldine Forbes (USA), Prof. Romita Ray (USA), Prof. R. Indira (University of Mysore), Prof. C.S. Bhat (UoH), Prof. Bindu Bambah (UoH), Prof. Pushpesh Kumar (UoH), Dr. Aditya Raj (IIT Patna), Dr. Haripriya Narasimhan (IIT Hyderabad) and many other faculty and students from India and USA including Mithila painters like Shalinee Kumari.
She then displayed some of the paintings which were part of the online exhibition of Mithila paintings regarding Covid-19 which she curated for the Syracuse University Art Museum in the fall of 2020 (https://indd.adobe.com/view/b42ffd50-92eb-4c53-b8be-cad71851cee7).
It was a visual treat for all the participants as there was an array of beautiful paintings which documented important aspects, key incidents with respect to the ongoing COVID pandemic like social distancing, wearing mask, use of hand sanitizers, the migrant crisis and the like.
Image description: A Mithila Paining on masking
Image description: A Mithila painting on Migrant crisis
Her enlightening lecture was followed by an interactive Q & A session during which Shalinee Kumari, a Hyderabad based Mithila painter threw light on the gender struggles faced by her and narrated the tales behind some of her splendid paintings that were on display.
The lecture was concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Raja Mohan Rao, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, University of Hyderabad.
Contributed by S. Swaminathan, Department of Communication.