Bhamini is an artist based out of Hyderabad, originally from Bihar. She is passionate about speaking up for causes like women empowerment, equality and mental health through her artwork. With a decade of experience in Madhubani Painting and Abstract Expressionism, she believes that art is a form of therapy that helps not only express and teach the art of perseverance and discipline but also acts as meditation to enhance patience and concentration.


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Bhamini Shree

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<h3 style="text-align: center;">ART ESSAY</h3>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">In this delightful interview and art essay, BHAMINI
 SHREE shares her journey of expression through painting with MEGHANA
 ANAND. Through art, gradually she was able to manage her depression, expand her selfexpression, and also
 develop her art as a career. In part 2, Bhamini tells us more about Madhubani Folk Art.</h4>

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MA: Can you share with us something about the history and
 origin of Madhubani art?
BS: Madhubani is a place in the north-eastern part
 of India, in Bihar, in the Mithilanchal area. It is the birth place of Sita, the wife of Lord Ram. This form of
 painting was started by the country women of Madhubani, and the entire culture is called Mithila culture. They started
 using natural pigments, like pollen, turmeric, cow dung, or indigo to make patterns on the walls of their homes, which
 were around the celebration of life and marriage.
Since Mithilanchal is considered to be the birth place or mother’s home of Sita, they
 celebrate it in that way. And also the fact that Sita is a woman. In Madhubani, a lot many forms are related to the
 Tantric form of painting depicting the goddess Durga, Kali, or Ardhanarishwar [half man-half woman],
 reflecting the locals’ joy and pride that these female deities have taken birth in their place.
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Madhubani is also about the celebration of marriage. There is something called
 kohbar, which is a small room that is painted and decorated – the entire walls are decorated at the time of a
 wedding – and this room is given to the newly-wedded couple for consummating their marriage. So, all the elements that
 are used in these paintings are about nature, fertility, the celebration of love, the navagrahas [the nine
 planets] out there – everything auspicious. The fish, the turtle, the peacock, the parrot, everything that is
 auspicious is celebrated.

So it’s is about fertility, and the celebration of life and marriage. That’s how it
 started.
MA: What are the media used in Madhubani art?
BS: Traditionally, the colors used in Madhubani
 paintings were all natural pigments. For example, natural indigo for blue; turmeric for yellow; natural flowers for
 red; leaves for green; and a mixture of soot and cow dung for black. They would paint with these colors on the walls.

Nowadays we usually paint on fabric or paper. On paper we mostly use acrylic colors. On
 cotton cloth, we use fabric color. And those who feel they can afford to give proper time to their art usually use
 bamboo sticks in place of brushes.
Bamboo sticks are used because they are thin and lightweight, and they give a lot of
 precision in the art. That’s how it’s done traditionally, but if we’re short on time we use whatever we want. There is
 no hard-and-fast rule. Whatever suits, you use.
MA: What is the
 significance of geometric symbols in Madhubani art?
BS: The women who started Madhubani painting were
 mostly illiterate, and they did not have means to improve their painting skills. So the patterns they drew were mostly
 naïve at that time. They would stick to circular or rectangular patterns while making images. If they were painting
 the moon, they would paint a semicircle; and if they were painting the sun, they would paint a full circle. That is
 how they would distinguish.
These geometric patterns are nothing but the elements of nature. So every element is
 drawn in a particular way. With little modifications you can play around with the pattern, but it’s more or less made
 in a certain way.
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MA: Tell us about your workshops.
BS: My workshops are open to everyone who wants to
 attend. I try to teach the essence of Madhubani painting, and show the participants how they can devise their own
 patterns. Once they know the basics, and the elements that distinguish this form of painting from others, the art is
 not difficult. Since this form of art is about nature, I explain to them how it is related. Once they understand the
 scope, they can make their own paintings. They don’t have to copy existing paintings on the Internet.
MA: What is the current status of folk art in India, and
 what is its scope in the future?
BS: To my understanding, even though we have some
 really good artists, they are not able to reach the market in the right way. Now that a lot of NGOs have come up, they
 are starting to bridge the artists with the market, but it is still a rare thing to see. Say there are 100 artists,
 perhaps 10 of them are able to get in touch with NGOs, the market people or mediators. The remaining 90 are left out,
 most of whom are women. Women are really good at folk painting, and they are not able to reach the market.
The other aspect is that folk art is mostly handmade, and people need to understand that
 it is exclusive and so it is expensive. In India we also have this mindset of bargaining: We are happy to buy an
 online print at a lower price than the original.
But the possibilities are great. The international market recognizes the folk art of
 India more than the locals do. That’s the irony. The kind of scope and demand there is for Madhubani painting in the
 international market is not here in our own country. To me that is quite disappointing. You cannot put a tag on art,
 for someone has put their heart, soul and mind into it.
MA: Yes, that’s true. So what does art truly mean to
 you?
BS: Well, I call my art “Pouli,” which
 means “bird” in Greek. I honestly believe that art is like a bird – it knows no limit. It doesn’t know how to settle
 down, it flies. You can’t stop a bird from flying, and you can’t stop an artist from expressing. And that’s what art
 is about – expression. Expression of our subconscious, expression of our aspirations, which cannot be put under a
 ceiling.
In my opinion, art is about whatever comes to your mind; you say that, you express that.
 It could be anything – your fragility, your vulnerability, or even your sensuality for that matter. People may call it
 erotic or pornography, but it’s not. Art is not pornography, it’s different. Art is expression; art is not
 objectification.
Everything that comes to your mind is expressed in a beautiful way. You don’t have to
 use a word and it’s already expressed. Be it rage, be it anger, be it frustration, you can express it. It’s like a
 bird that can fly wherever it wants to. Nobody can stop it, as it has wings. And this is why I call my art
 “Pouli.”
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MA: Lovely! Finally, what tips would you like to share
 with the youth of today, or anyone for that matter, who are looking to follow their heart’s aspirations?
BS: Before you think what is good, right or wrong
 for you, it’s important that you analyze yourself. If you have a false belief that, “I can do this, and I can do that
 also,” the first thing to do is to burst the bubble. You have to know what you can really do, and if you would like to
 do this for the rest of your life.
So, ideally, the first thing is to talk to mentors, to understand the opportunities out
 there. And mentors need not necessarily be your teachers, or elder siblings, or somebody you already know. Look out
 for somebody who really inspires you in the truest manner. They are mentors. Talk to them, talk about your
 insecurities, talk about what you want to do in life, your aspirations, and take insights from them.
The second thing is to introspect. Introspection plays a very important part. Sit and be
 true to yourself. For example, if you are preparing for your IIT exams and you think this is not what you want to do,
 you also need to think what you are good at. And if you don’t know that, you need to start exploring. And for you to
 explore, you need to do 10,000 other things to know what you are good at.
The same thing applies to art also. If you think you want to be a portrait artist, maybe
 you can’t be a landscape artist at the same time. But it’s also not necessary that you have to choose only one stream.
 So the best thing is to try your hand at various media and experiment.
It’s important to see where your heart truly lies. And at the same time, you need to
 consider if you are able to sustain yourself with whatever you choose to do in life. Be practical also.
MA: Thank you, Bhamini, for this enlightening
 conversation. I wish you all the very best in your heart’s endeavors.
BS: Thank you very much.
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Website – <a href="https://www.bhaminishree.com/" target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer">www.bhaminishree.com</a> 
 Instagram –<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bhamini_shree/" target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/bhamini_shree/</a>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interviewed by MEGHANA ANAND 
 Art by BHAMINI SHREE</h4>


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