Signed Patachitra Painting with Natural Dyes of Tribal Dance, "The Santhal Tribe II"

Cheerful, vibrant colors prepared from natural herbs and seeds capture the effusive mood that reigns over Santhal people. They make up one of the largest tribes spread across the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam and Jharkhand. Manoranjan Chitrakar depicts women and men dancing, after a long day's hard work. He paints on paper, which he pastes on cotton fabric recycled from saris, thus keeping a millinery artistic tradition alive.

The word pata is derived from the Sanskrit and Pali word meaning "cloth," and chitra means "picture." Patachitra means "picture painted on cloth," and it refers to a storytelling tradition originating in the Medinipur region of West Bengal. The painter community is called Patua, and all of the artists bear the same last name Chitrakar, meaning "painter." Through this unique art form, the bard presents the story with pictures while simultaneously narrating a song called "Pater Gaan." Patuas use colors extracted from various trees, leaves, fruits, flowers, seeds, and clay. Traditionally, their themes revolved around mythological stories, but the newer generations of Patuas paint about contemporary social issues ranging from violence against women to climate change. They are deftly capturing the changing times.

Patachitra artists once had a unique style of presenting their craft: they would go to different villages, singing and telling the stories within the paintings with song and ethos to these themes. Interestingly, despite the fact they all belonged to the Muslim community and practiced Islam faith, they all painted about Hindu gods and goddesses and sang songs in their praise. They did not see their religious beliefs as a barrier to their craft.