MELBOURNE, 7 May 2022: An artist and art lover, Senthil Vel has a passion for India’s folk arts. In fact, he wants these art forms a place in Australia and globally. These declining art forms need to be preserved for the next generation, he feels. The International Indian Folk Art Gallery (IIFAG) was formed in 2020 by him with support from friends and volunteers. The aim of this organization is to shed light on endangered Indian Folk Arts while building a cross-cultural connection with Australian art lovers.
The Indian Folk Art forms are ancient and versatile. There are over 50 traditional folk arts indigenous to India, each style distinct and originating from various states across the country. These traditional arts are over 3000 years old and their survival has been dependent on small communities passing knowledge down from generation to generation. Ratna Senthil explains:
The ‘Endangered Folk Arts of India’ exhibition curated by Senthil will be on till 30 May 2022 at the Space2B, 144 Chapel Street, St. Kilda, Victoria 3182. On the opening day of the exhibition today, a large number of people were present including John Burns MP, Federal Member for Macnamara, and the opening ribbon was cut by Mr. C.S.Srinivasan (Srini), Board Member, Multicultural Arts Victoria.
The exhibition displays a wide variety of Indian folk art forms including Gond, Pichwai, Tal Chitra (palm leaf engraving), Tanjore, Pattachitra, Cheriyal scroll paintings, and many more. Many of the artifacts are of religious figures, while others have animals and other objects. The exhibition is full of life and a folk ambiance could be felt in plenty.
