Mithila Painting

For centuries, Mithila Painting — originally created exclusively on walls and floors — was the domain of women. Even as the practice of purdah (separation of women’s life from the public sphere) persisted in Mithila until the late 20th century, restricting women’s activities to the domestic sphere. However, they have kept the roles of guardians of cultural heritage and performers of religious and family rituals.

Traditionally, women painted on walls near the kitchen entrance, the primary space of their daily lives. Private interiors concealed murals created for special occasions.

Women’s (Private) Art

A devastating drought and famine in 1966 triggered a rise of a new form of artistic expression and brought revolutionary cultural and social changes to Mithila. In the 1960s, with the support of activists and state institutions, Mithila Painting was transferred onto paper. This transition not only turned this local art form into a source of livelihood and an export commodity—first within India and later globally—but also led to the popularisation of other Mithila crafts and visual arts.

Through their art, women became the primary providers for their families and the symbol of Mithila. Today, they contribute significantly to the region’s economic development and have driven numerous social changes, traces of which are visible in the paintings showcased in the Holi Colours exhibition.

Colors of Holi

Originally, natural materials — primarily flowers — were used to create pigments and painting surfaces. Artists painted using their fingers, sharpened bamboo sticks, and cotton swabs. The 1970s brought widespread access to synthetic dyes, and during this period, the powdered colors used in the Holi festival were dissolved in water and mixed with asafoetida, which acted as a binding agent. These vibrant, intense shades defined the entire period of Mithila Painting, today referred to as the Holi Colours.

By the 1990s, tempera and acrylic paints, as well as markers and multicolored inks, became commonly used. However, the knowledge of creating pigments from natural dyes has not been lost — many experienced artists continue to employ traditional techniques.

The Visual Language of Mithila Painting

Mithila Painting features three primary styles: Bharni (Colour), Kachni (Linear), and Godna (Tattoo). There are other, less popular, styles and substyles, each characterized by distinct techniques, materials, or themes. One example is Geru, named after the reddish clay used as its base pigment, resulting in compositions create in earthy brown tones.

A defining feature of Mithila Painting as a genre is the use of double outlines. Some artists interpret this as a reflection of dualism in the world. Backgrounds are often filled with floral and animal motifs, which add symbolic meanings, while objects and other compositional elements are reduced to conventional forms.

Mithila Painting in the Collection of theAsia and Pacific Museum

The Andrzej Wawrzyniak Asia and Pacific Museum holds the largest collection of Mithila Paintings in Europe and one of the largest in the world, comprising 150 artworks from India. The core of the collection consists of some of the oldest known paintings on papers, created between 1971 and 1978.

This exhibition is the result of the research project conducted at the University of Warsaw by the Museum’s Curator, Dr. Barbara Banasik, in the years 2019-2023. Funded by the National Science Centre, the project, among other things,documented the creative process and the contemporary practice of Mithila Painting in India, presented at the exhibition.

The exhibition is divided into two parts. The first explores historical and social context of art created by Maithili women — its process, role, and adaptation into design. The second focuses on the viewer’s aesthetic experience.

Experiencing Art

The exhibition’s design is made to engage multiple senses of the viewer. Some paintings are accompanied by soundscapes, such as songs in Sanskrit, Maithili,, or scents of the flowers used to produce traditional dyes. The exhibition also features works by Polish artists, including digital mappings, an animated film created with artificial intelligence, and a documentary series based on the curator’s research in India. For younger visitors, an illustrated exhibition guide has been prepared to enhance their experience.

Moments of Awe

Using a variety of artistic expressions and spatial strategies, Holi Colours brings the visual and cultural landscape of Mithila to life, presenting the history and social context of Mithila Painting. It engages all multiple senses — sight, hearing, smell, and proprioception — to prepare visitors for an immersive aesthetic experience and invite them into a world of vivid colours and bold forms.

Exhibition catalogue Holi Colours available for download

English Version