Storytellers of Wonder

Category: Artist

  • True Independence Never Had Boundaries

    There is nothing ostentatious about them. They are just two ordinary girls leading simple lives. Yet there is something dramatically powerful about the Two Brown Girls whom we had the good fortune of running into. Young independent individuals, half way around the world from the Indian subcontinent, following drastically different interests that tie them strongly…

  • Home Diaries: Pristine Pleasures

    There are places that charm you with their exquisite exterior, a welcoming stairwell or the promise of a hidden wonder. As you peek closer and step inside, you’re thrilled at having walked into something built with magic, where all that you see holds a story untold and makes you forget the crowd, the chatter, the world outside. No…

  • Pichwais of Nathdwara

    Legend has it that in 1409 AD, near Govardhan hill in Mathura an image of Lord Shrinathji, the mountain lifting form of Lord Krishna, was discovered while a cow worshiped the lord with offerings of milk. A temple was promptly established at this site and was held in high reverence. In the 17th century, during…

  • Treasured Travelogues: India through the eyes of Artists Thomas and Willam Daniell

    India has bewitched many an artist who has found such beauty in the landscape and its people that it has prompted them to translate some of the experienced charm onto the canvas. The late 18th century saw an English uncle-nephew duo, Thomas and William Daniell, setting sail to India, arriving in Calcutta in 1786. Upon…

  • Textile Narrative: ‘Mata-ni-Pachedi’

    Mata, Shakti, Devi – These names evoke vivid images from mythology. The Chitara families of the wandering Waghris tribe of Gujarat visualize Goddess’s many manifestations as hand-painted or block-printed images on textiles, surrounded by stories from myths, epics and folk traditions. ‘Mata-ni-Pachedi’ translates literally to ‘that which enshrines the Goddess’. The historical evidence of this…

  • A Divine Glimpse

    Etched in my mind are childhood memories of jostling a determined crowd to get a glimpse (jakhi) of Shivji Bawa, better known as Shreenathji, eight times* a day during my trips to Nathdwara, Rajasthan. I grew up in a devout vaishnav family and a yearly visit to this auspicious shrine town was a given.  Shrinathji is a form of god Krishna manifest as…

  • Madhubani – More Than Just A Picture on the Wall

    Originating in Bihar, Madhubani or Mithila paintings were once drawn on walls and doors of homes as a gesture to delight God. As the time progressed, the art graduated to other mediums like cloth, hand-made paper and even canvas.  And today, it has become widely popular, owing to its unique designs and rustic look. The figures…

  • Mario Miranda, a true Zorba

    His full name was Mario Joao Carlos do Rosario de Britto a Miranda. He was an artist, a cartoonist, an illustrator, a humorist, a traveler, enjoyed a good life and was a true Zorba. He signed off all his artwork simply as ‘Mario’ and was known to the world as Mario Miranda. The entire country…