Folk art of Bangladesh

Folk Art of Bangladesh
Submitted to,
Ar. Sadia alam
Co ordinator of
Architecture dept.
SMUCT
Submitted by,
Tonmoy Barua
132082001
Dept. Of Architecture

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Abstract
Traditionaly, within the world of visual art, the vague term "folk art" is of rapidly declining significance, for
several reasons. First, no one can agree on what it means. This is partly because the concept of "folk"
springs largely from criteria laid down by 19th century aesthetes and aestheticians, rather than from any
objective characteristics. Second, the amount of authentic artand design produced by traditional folk artists
nowadays is vastly exceeded by artificial "folk art". Third, all forms of traditionally-made arts and crafts are
under threat from globalized culture.
On the face of it, the phrase should have a fairly simple meaning -
something like: "art made by the common people, notably from
rural areas." Except the phrase implies a degree of cultural
insularity, which - thanks to the explosion of mass-market culture -
has more or less disappeared. To complicate matters further, the
general nostalgia for traditional artifacts has led to the emergence of a
growing crafts industry, as any search of the Internet - for terms such as
"folk art designs", "folk art decorations", "folk art paintings" or "folk
crafts" - will reveal. These folk products are typically manufactured in
local, decidedly unfolkish urban centres, or in Third World
sweatshops - neither operation having an intimate connection with
the sort of historical traditions that typically characterize authentic
folk arts.
During the 19th century, it was the Industrial Revolution
that undermined "folk art"; in the 20th century it was
mass-produced culture - everything from sodas and denin
jeans, to TV programs; in the 21st century it is computers,
the Internet and globalization. In general, therefore, "folk
art" is a dying activity, and now survives only in isolated
areas whose inhabitants have a proud tradition of
handicrafts and making things for themselves.

Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1 Definition of Folk Art
2.2 Origins of Folk Art
2.3 Characteristics
2.4 Types of Folk Art
2.4.1 Architecture
2.4.2 Painting
2.4.3 Sculpture
2.4.4 Printmaking
2.4.5 Applied Art
2.4.6 Textiles
2.5 Types of Folk Art In Bangladesh
2.5.1 Nakshikantha
2.5.2 Bengal Pot
2.5.3 Dewal Chitra
2.5.4 Bamboo Craft
2.5.5 Puppet Theatre
2.5.6 Patachitra
2.5.7 Cane Craft
2.5.8 ULKI/ BODY PAINTING
2.5.9 ALPONA
2.5.10 RICKSHAW PAINTING
2.5.11 CONCH-SHELL CRAFT
2.5.12 DARUCHITRA
2.5.13 JUTE CRAFT
Content
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3. Folk Painting in Bangladesh
4. The evolution of Bangladeshi folk art paintings
5. Types of Folk Paintings in Bangladesh
5.1 Santhal paintings
5.2 Phad Painting
5.3 Kalamkari Painting
5.3.1 The Masulipatnam style of Kalamkari
5.3.2 Technique of Kalamkari painting
5.3. 3 History and evolution of Kalamkari painting
5.4 Paatachitra Painting
5.4.1 Chitrakars
5.4.2 Technique of Paata painting
5.4.3 Materials used in Paatachitra
5.4.4 Themes used in Paatachitra
5.5 Terracota
6. Folk Art as profession in Bangladesh
7. Present situation of heritage place
7.1 Consciousness of UNESCO
8. Recommendation
9. Conclusion
10. References
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Content

Folk art predominantly functional or utilitarian visual
art created by hand (or with limited mechanical facilities) for
use by the maker or a small circumscribed group and
containing an element of retention—the prolonged survival of
tradition. Folk art is the creative expression of the human
struggle toward civilization within a particular environment
through the production of useful but aesthetic buildings and
objects.
Folk art stems from daily experiences and traditions of common
people. Usually made by “untrained” artists, there are not “do’s”
and “don’ts” with folk art, so there is often more freedom of
expression. The folk artists are resourceful and use objects they
find, as well as the items around them, for their work. Often, folk
art is created by people who are not affluent and live in rural
areas.
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1. Introduction

2. Literature Review
In one way, folk art is a genre of art of unknown origin that
reflects the traditional values of a society, but in another side,
folk art is not usually in the form of paintings. So, folk art is a result
of ordinary people expressing themselves through their creation and
construction of utilitarian objects that convey meaning and value to
themselves or others within their culture. Typically the patterns,
motifs, techniques and materials have special significance and can
reveal a great deal about a cultural society.
Because the construction and everything involved in folk art
reveals much about the essential values or characteristics of a
society. Many times folk art is found at archaeological sites in
the form of bowls, jars, or other pottery that were made by
ancient cultures like the Incas, Aztecs, etc. By carefully
studying folk art and its little details, archaeologists can make
speculations about when a culture might have lived, what their
daily lives were like and why they are no longer exist.
Aside from this kind of folk art, other functional objects like clothing,
furniture, houses, kitchen utensils, etc. are often considered folk art
because although they are everyday objects, their final form carries a
certain beauty, expression and significance that elevates the objects
above the daily mundane to the inspired artistic. Folk art is not only
something that was made or created by generations long ago, either.
Folk art is still being produced around the world and is actually even
gaining in popularity. However, folk art is generally studied and learned
in a different manner than that of more traditional art; it is often learned
through serious apprenticeships or passed down among family members
from generation to generation
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Art originating among the common people of a nation or region and usually reflecting their
traditional culture, especially everyday or festive items produced or decorated by unschooled artists.
In another way, folk art is artistic works, as paintings, sculpture
basketry, and utensils, produced typically in cultural isolation by
untrained often anonymous artists or by artisans of varying degrees
of skill and marked by such attributes as highly decorative design,
bright bold colors, flattened perspective, strong forms in simple
arrangements and immediacy of meaning.
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Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring trades people. In contrast
to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic. Folk Art is characterized by a naïve style,
in which traditional rules of proportion and perspective are not employed.
As a phenomenon that can chronicle a move towards civilization yet rapidly diminish with modernity, industrialization, or
outside influence, the nature of folk art is specific to its particular culture. The varied geographical and temporal prevalence
and diversity of folk art make it difficult to describe as a whole, though some patterns have been demonstrated.
2.1. Definition of Folk Art

In other words, "folk art" is a term invented by 19th
century white Christian well-educated urbanites to
describe the quaint arts and crafts of rustic societies.
Because the concept was invented by people well-versed in
cultural history, they excluded arts from the major
civilizations (eg. Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian, Minoan,
Persian, and so on), and from Classical Antiquity (Ancient
Greece and Rome), and Islamic societies. These cultures were
deemed too well-developed to give rise to "folk art".
The acceptance of "folk art" as a special category did not happen
until the late 19th century, and was first confined to European
peasant art - the "art of the land". The intellectual and cultural
climate of the time attached an exaggerated Romanticism to the
simple life lived by the common people. Their art, in particular,
hand-crafted with traditional tools, had a great appeal for the post-
Industrial Revolution urban mainstream.
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2.2 Origins of Folk Art

2.3 Characteristics
Characteristically folk art is not influenced by movements in academic or fine art circles,
and, in many cases, folk art excludes works executed by professional artists and sold as
"high art" or "fine art" to the society's art patrons.
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•Folk art are simple, direct, and mostly always colorful.
•Folk art expresses cultural identity by conveying shared
community values and aesthetics.
•It encompasses a range of utilitarian and decorative media,
including cloth, wood, paper, clay, metal and more.
•Folk art reflects traditional art forms of diverse community
groups — ethnic, tribal, religious, occupational, geographical, age-
or gender-based — who identify with each other and society at
large.
• Folk artists traditionally learn skills and techniques through
apprenticeships in informal community settings, though they may
also be formally educated.

2.4.2 PAINTING
Votive paintings in oil, watercolor or pastel were not
uncommon, but most painting was in the form of
decorative embellishment of other objects or structures.
Thus for example, painting on textiles, glass items, chests,
often using stencils, was widespread. Illustration of texts
was also seen. A major artist who was influenced by folk art,
is Natalia Gonchacva (1881-1962), one of the most valuable
Russian artists in history.
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2.4.1 ARCHITECTURE
The focus here was on simple dwelling
houses and religious buildings. Examples of
"folk architecture" include the steep Alpine roof
designed for snowy conditions; the cave
dwellings of the Iberian peninsula; the American
log cabin and the Mexican adobe hut.

2.4.3 SCULPTURE
Figurative sculpture, as well as some sort of incised
relief decoration, can be seen in almost every
society. In "folk art" the most common type of
sculpture was wood-carving, followed by sculptured
stone monuments. Wood-carving was particularly
popular, and involved everything from large totem
poles to miniature ships in bottles. Other popular
applications of plastic art included papier-mache, often
used for large-scale objects/figures especially in
carnivals
2.4.4 PRINTMAKING
The natural medium for making "folk prints"
was the woodblock, which was usually cut
very simply and then crudely colored or
stenciled. Block-printing was utilized to make
games, simple forms and announcements, as
well as signs.
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2.4.5 APPLIED ART
For obvious practical reasons, the general category of
applied arts was invariably the most important and
most avidly practiced of all arts and crafts in folk
communities. The range of activities varied according to
the resources available, but included some or all of the
following: basket weaving, doll-making, enameling,
furniture-making, Wood-turning, lacquer ware, ceramics
or pottery, leatherwork, metal work, knife-making,
jewellery-making, stained glass.
2.4.6 TEXTILES
In addition to standard practices including
crochet, embroidery, felt-making, knitting,
lace-making, macrame, and quilting, folk
artists also developed highly specialist
skills, involving carpet-weaving,
and tapestry.
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2.5.1 NAKSHIKANTHA
Nakshi kantha or embroidered quilt is made and used almost everywhere in Bangladesh. However, the nakshi
kanthas of Rajshahi, Jessore, and Faridpur are most famous for stitchcraft and picturesque designs. Several
layers of old cloth are put together to make these quilts. Apart from being used to make bedspreads and quilts,
nakshi kantha work is also used to make pillow cases and covers, prayer mats, seats for puja, small bags for
keeping mirrors and combs, gilaf (covers) for books, covers for foods, and dastarkhan or dining mats.
The designs were traditionally
drawn free hand by women who
worked leisurely in their spare
time. At present much nakshi
kantha work is done by ngo’s
and handicraft organisations for
commercial purposes. Common
motifs are the lotus, the sun, the
moon, stars, leaves, trees,
flowering creepers, human
figures, deities, horses, elephants,
fish, birds, tazia’s and rath.
Elaborately embroidered quilts
depict scenes from mythology or
contemporary life. Traditionally,
threads drawn from sari borders
were used. At present embroidery
thread is used or skeins of yarn.
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2.5.2 BENGAL POT
Like the Naksikatha, the indigenous art form that
developed in Bengal came to be known as Bengal Pot.
Paintings are made with dyes made from spices, earth,
soot, etc. and reflect the life and times of the society
and folklore. The traditional colors used in Bengal Pot are
red, indigo, green, black and ochre. Bengal Pot has a very
interesting angle to it. Some paintings depict spoofs on
retrograde social practices, thus attempting to highlight
them for change.
This art form of Bengal developed hundreds of years
back when roaming minstrels used to sing about
incidents of the distant past and popular lore to
villagers. Some of these artists started depicting these
stories on cloth scrolls for preservation and beatification.
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2.5.3 DEWAL CHITRA
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Images of deities are painted on the walls of mud houses in
northern Bengal in the belief that these images will protect the
house and its inmates from evil. Flowers and leaves are painted to
beautify the dwelling place. Apart from alpana designs, motifs
include the swastika, the goddess Laksmi seated on a lotus, the
heroes of the puranas, sheaves of paddy, creepers, peacocks and
elephants. Scenes from the story of krishna or rama are painted as
murals. For the past two decades, wall paintings have also become
popular in Dhaka city.
Many of these paintings are broken
up into panels painted in different
styles of folk art. The boundary wall of
the Institute of Fine Arts which faces
Kazi Nazrul Islam Road, for example,
has scenes drawn in nakshi
kantha, gazir pat,
and ghatachitra styles. In addition to
traditional motifs and scenes,
depictions of thewar of liberation are
also common. During the observances
of Ekushey, the walls facing the
Shaheed Minar are painted with
quotations in bangla script

In the late 1960s groups of women in the villages surrounding Dhaka started to make shikas for the
local markets. Tourists visiting these markets would buy these beautifully-crafted items to take home as
souvenirs and the market for these crafts grew, the crafters became more creative, finding more uses for the
items they made.
2.5.4 BAMBOO CRAFT
Very often the new item is named after the village
where it was produced, or even after the person who
made it. Strands of jute were deftly woven, twisted,
plaited and knotted into bags, table mats, plant
holders (macramé), wall hangings, hammocks, floor
coverings and more. Colors are woven into the design in
different patterns. The creativity and skill of the women
who make these crafts seems to be endless.
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Bamboo utensils such as kula (winnowing
fan), jhudi (basket), chalani (sieve), dala (tray, specially used for
drying pickles) are part of everyday life and are used in both rural
and urban kitchens. Bamboo craft may be used as attractive
ashtrays, flower vases, cosmetic boxes, picture frames, mirror
frames, pens, etc.

It is not known when puppet theatre was introduced in
Bangladesh. The earliest extant literary evidence of the
existence of the form in Bangladesh is a couplet
in Yusuf Zulekha (1391-1410). As signified there, these
performances were given with the help of string puppets. It
is possible that orally composed tales of gods and
goddesses, such as those of Krishna, Rama, Manasa etc.
were produced in these performances. Mukunda
Chakravarti's Chandimangal (1555–56) and Krishnadasa
Kaviraja's Chaitanya Charitamrita (c 1560-80) definitely
point to the existence of puppet theatre during this period.
Interestingly, no Islamic narrative ever seems to have been
performed by puppets in Bangladesh. String puppets still
exist in Bangladesh today.
Putul Nach (puppet show) is a traditional art form of the Bangladesh and a very ancient form of theatre. A
putul or puppet, made of bamboo or wood, is jointed for easy manipulation with strings attached to various
parts of its body.
2.5.5 PUPPET THEATRE
The nachiye (puppeteer) has a wooden cup
attached to his or her waistband in which the
rod supporting the puppet rests. The puppetry
troupe includes a lead singer, who usually plays
the harmonium, and also musicians on clarinet,
dhol (drum) and kansi (bell). They narrate
mythological stories with dance (nach) of the
puppets playing different characters. 17

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2.5.6 PATACHITRA
Patachitra or scroll paintings by professional artists, known as patuyas, are used
to illustrate different narratives. These scroll paintings date back to the Buddhist
period when Buddhist bhikkus known as 'maskari' used to spread the message
of Buddhism by showing pictures to illustrate stories of the Buddha. Subsequently,
during Hindu rule, these scroll paintings depicted stories from the Puranas. Many
Hindus were converted to Islam after the Muslim conquest of Bengal in the 13th
century. They did not abandon the trade they had learned, but added Muslim stories
to their repertoire. Thus, they continued to paint stories of Krishnalila, Ramalila, and
Manasalila, stories of Krishna, Rama and Manasa.
The traditional patachitra illustrates
different episodes of a story on a scroll
up to 30 feet long. As the scrolls are
wrapped around sticks, these are also
known as 'wrapped pictures'. There is
another kind of scroll known as
'panchakalyani pat' which contains
illustrations of different deities
The illustrations were first painted on silk cloth or
linen and later on paper made of cotton-pulp. There
are two kinds of patachitra in Bangladesh: single
pictures on a square canvas and multiple pictures on a
long roll. kalighat paintings belong to the first category.
This style of painting developed during the 18th-19th
centuries after the establishment of Kolkata. The Kalighat
school disappeared after western style painting became
popular.

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2.5.7 CANE CRAFT
Cane crafts have a rich historical past that is amalgamated
with the preferences of the modern urban people. As South-
Asia is affluent in the tradition of the powerful dynasties like
Magadha Majanapadas, Mauryan Empire and Gupta Empire,
the artisans had received encouragement from them. With the
introduction of modern technologies cane craft has flourished.
As the time precedes the tradition of the past and the style of
the modern age have developed the cult of the cane crafts.
This has also led to improvements of the products at a high
grade with subtle changes.
Cane crafts have unique features that carry intrinsic beauties
and great creativeness offered by the local artisans. Initiated
in the prehistoric age, cane crafts comprise utility items like
baskets, household wares, woven mats, furniture and cane
products like cane furniture and other decorative objects.
The majority of Bangladeshi villagers who etch out the lifeless
bamboos and canes with dexterity and turn them into exquisite
art pieces that are of great value.
The availability of raw materials, suitable weather, numerous artisans and land for cane agriculture have
fastened the growth of the cane crafts of Bangladesh. Chairs, stools, sofa sets, bookshelves, baskets, table
lamps, partitions and hookah holders are attractive and affordable cane products in our country.
Though less commonly used in urban areas, fancy mats called nakshi pati (pictorial mat) or shitalpati(cool mat),
continue to be in demand both for their comfort and attractiveness

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Ulki or tattooing is a form of body art using permanent
pigments. Men and women of some Hindu castes tattoo
parts of their body for religious reasons, usually with motifs
of the sun, birds, snakes or circles. Vaishnavas tattoo
pictures of Radha and Krishna united in an embrace.
Tattooing is done by pricking the skin of the arms with a
needle and then applying the juice of kesutia (Eclipta
prostata) leaves to obtain a bluish color. There are other
forms of body painting that are temporary. Bengali brides,
both Hindu and Muslim, have their faces dotted with
sandalwood paste. Muslim brides use mehendi or henna to
paint their palms with intricate designs.
2.5.8 ULKI/ BODY PAINTING

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2.5.9 ALPONA
Alpana a popular folk art associated with Hindu women's observance of
religious vratas or vows such
as Laksmivrata, Senjutivrata, Maghmangalvrata, Haricharanvrata and Basu
dharavrata. It is also drawn on the occasion of Hindu weddings
and annaprashana. Common motifs drawn during weddings include the
lotus and creepers. Alpana are also drawn at Muslim weddings, especially
on the occasion of the gaye halud. The alpana motifs drawn at Muslim
functions are, however, quite different from those at vratas. On 21st
February as well alpanas using floral motifs and geometric patterns are
painted on the roads leading to the shaheed minar.
White paste made of pounded rice is the main raw material for alpana.
Depending on the occasion, brick powder, ash, water mixed with cow
dung, vermilion and turmeric paste are also used. Alpanas for vratas
are drawn with a finger or a piece of wood. In urban areas, alpanas are
painted with enamel paints and brushes. Alpana motifs do not show
realistic details. The senjutivrata alpana, representing a woman with many
children, is shown by abstract lines. Similarly, the laksmivrata alpana,
representing the goddess Laksmi's foot, is shown simply as a human
footprint.

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2.5.10 RICKSHAW PAINTING
The three wheeled pedalic cab, more commonly known
as rickshaws of Bangladesh has been around since the
1940s. Initially, they were undecorated, but starting in
the late 1940s, the faces of movie stars began appearing
as decorative motifs on shields at the back of the
rickshaws along with a variety of floral paintings. The
unique trend of rickshaw art started from Rajshahi and
Dhaka in Bangladesh and took its own style in each
district. For instance, Chittagong being a more pious city
then Dhaka mostly had floral or scenery in the
rickshaws where as Comilla has plain rickshaws with
beautiful dark blue or green hood on which is sewn an
appliqué of a minaret or floral design enshrining the
word "Allah".
Rickshaw art covers whole rickshaw decoration, from
painted backboards and rear side panels to cut-outs
appliquéd on to hoods and brass vases replete with
plastic or paper flowers. The painted rectangular metal
board at the backside, between the two wheels, leaves a
trail of passion that the Rickshaw artist puts in his
creations.
The art on moving wheels were done using very bold,
bright and raw colors, like fluorescent green, dark
red and so on. The blaze of colors also help to make
them long lasting

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The conch and shell of Bangladesh are framed throughout South Asia.
During the last Five Centuries, Dhaka, situated on the banks of river
Buriganga, has been renowned as the centre of highly shell carvas, commonly
known as Shankharis or Shankhabaniks. A distinctly community, their
products are in demand not in within Bangladesh but abroad as well. The
master craftsmen of shankhari Patti produce high quality products Known as
shankha. These ornaments are richly decorated with carvings, colored with
lacquer or inlaid with bands of gold.
Conchshell craft basically refers to the art of engraving beautiful images on natural shells, obtained
from the ocean bed. Each artisan has his own unique pattern of carving the shell. While some
craftsmen draw the image of Lord Shiva over the shell, others create entire episodes from the
Mahabharata on it. Then, the stories of Lord Krishna also serve as popular themes for engraving the
conch shells. It is very difficult to carve a conch shell, taking a minimum of two to three months to
design a single shell item
The products crafted from the conch-
shell include exquisite hair bands,
bracelets, rings, lockets, pendants, and
amulets, ear ring and necklaces.
Delicate bangles sre also crafted from
conch-shell and are essential part of a
Hindu woman’s trousseau. These are
embellished with notched edges or
diamond shapes along the centre.
2.5.11 CONCH-SHELL CRAFT

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Daruchitra The art of wood engraving is an ancient craft, used for decorating
door frames, pillars, windows, palanquins, boat prows, toys and dolls. The
designs are carved out and the plain surfaces are then painted. Door frames and
pillars are painted with creepers, palanquins with flowers, creepers and geometric
patterns, and boats with the swastika, the moon, stars, birds and fish.
2.5.12 DARUCHITRA
Ghatachitra Paintings on earthen pitchers or ghat. There
are various types of ghatachitra such
asmangalghat, manasaghat, nagaghat, laksmighat,karti
ker bhand and daksinrayer bara, the names being derived
from the deity painted on the pitcher. Thus, manasaghats
depict manasa, the snake goddess, while nagaghats depict
hooded snakes.
2.5.13 GATHACHITRA
A pitcher with the image of an eight-
headed snake is called 'astanaga
ghat'. Similarly, a pitcher depicting
Laksmi, the goddess of wealth, is
called 'laksmir ghat', while a ghat
with the image of Daksin Ray, the
tiger god, is known as 'daksin rayer
bara'.

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Jute craft Apart from being the raw material
for hessian and carpets, jute is also used to
make mats, bags, and hanging string bags or
sika, used in homes to hang foodstuff out of
the reach of animals.
To make sikas, jute twine is braided and then
tied in various patterns such
as taraful, puntiful andtakaful. The sikas are
given different names such
as muthashika, chakshika, kadishika andnengtas
hika on the basis of their size, shape and
designs. Kadisika, for example, is threaded with
cowries.
One of Bangladesh’s finest range of products today is made of jute, the
country’s major natural fibre. Jute has been a thriving industry since thje 19th
century though it has faced many ups and downs in its long history, with a
declining trend in the past resulting from rest of investment and product
diversification. However it’s robust strength, its many advantage including its
ecological strengths have brought it back into popular national and international
use. In the world of fashion and design jute is a popular item for upholstery
and other household items.
2.5.13 JUTE CRAFT

The subject of Bangladeshi folk paintings is as diverse as the
Bangladeshi cultural milieu itself. Indian folk art painting
includes a brilliant battery of calendar and wall paintings, oil,
canvas and cloth paintings, miniatures and so on. The most
famous types of folk art paintings hence include various
ancient Bangladeshi art forms such as
Madhubani, Phad, Kalamkari, Warli paintings and so on.
Bangladeshi folk art paintings usually deal with pictorial
depictions of popular Hindu and Buddhistdeities such as
Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Durga, Buddha. Additionally, we can
also find Madhubani paintings of the sun, the moon and even
some plants and flowers used in daily rituals, such as tulsi
(basil) and so on. Many paintings also depict daily village life,
common customs and rituals, birds, animals and the elements
of nature. Folk paintings are very fetching and a visual treat,
as they employ vibrant and natural colors and papers, clothes,
leaves, earthen pots, mud walls and so on, as their canvas to
paint on.
3. Folk Painting in Bangladesh
26

4. The evolution of Bangladeshi folk art paintings
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It was only during the 20th century that South Asian folk art slowly emerged as a subject of
study and appreciation. Before this era, only Mughal painting was appreciated in India. In the
year 1916, Ananda Coomaraswamy established Rajasthani and Pahari paintings as a form of art.
Of course, they lacked the refinement of Mughal Art. Yet, their charm was undeniably there and
that marked the beginning of the emergence of Indian folk art at a global level.
Western India mostly used angular lines, bright and bold colors
and full profiles. Paintings from the Santhal tribe and Around
in Chittagong and Sylhet border tribe, used more
individualistic styles, the composition being simple, though
more direct. Likewise, each region presented its own unique folk
art in its own unique way, thereby creating a brilliant
kaleidoscope of colors and designs in its paintings. Let us now
delve deeper in detail into the study of some of the most major
types of Bangladeshi Folk Art.
Initially, the study of folk painting was restricted to Bengal.
But, some areas around the Bengal realized the value of their
own art and came out with their collections. Each region used
the materials readily available to them and this resulted in
tremendous diversity and variety in this form of art, while also
being clubbed as one, “Bangladeshi" folk art.

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5.1 Santhal paintings
The Santhal tribe, one of the
eminent tribes belonging to
the state of Bihar (India), has
a distinctive technique of
painting, which is well-known
as Santhal paintings. The
themes for these paintings are
chosen from the natural
surroundings or from the
activities of everyday lives,
such as a happy family, fields,
dance, quarrel, beating wife,
gods and goddess, wine party
etc. These paintings reflect the
simplicity of artists. All
paintings are courtesy of Art of
Bangladesh.
5.2 Phad Painting
Phad paintings are
characterized by their
own unique styles and
patterns. They are
especially appreciated
as they use vibrant
colors and quaint
historical themes, the
life and times of
valorous heroes and so
on. The unique style and
use of themes
of Phad paintings are
responsible for making
them the most sought
after paintings in the
world of art and culture.

5.3 Kalamkari Painting
Kalamkari is yet another ancient and ethnic folk art, made on painted and printed fabrics. The term,
"Kalamkari", comes from the Persian language and literally means "pen craftsmanship". Kalamkari evolved
and flourished during the Mughal rule and was patronized by the Golconda Sultanate. This art form is hand
painted and block printed by means of using natural vegetable dyes.
5.3.1 The Masulipatnam style of Kalamkari
This style comes with a clear Persian influence and is
done with intricate and delicate forms and motifs. The
most commonly featuring designs here are flowers,
trees, creepers, colorful leaf designs and so on.
Thanks to the Dutch influence, Kalamkari art later
evolved and is now undertaken on bed covers, curtains
and garments as well.
5.3.2 Technique of Kalamkari painting
Kalamkari work goes through a long-winding process of treatment on the fabric,
including resist-dyeing and hand printing. Here, the fabric is treated extensively both
before and after the dyeing process. The colors change depending on the treatment of
cloth and quality of the mordant used. Each and every step of this process is painstakingly
done and the artisan has to strictly adhere to perfection. Seventeen long stages later, the
fabric is ready for use.
29

30
5.3.3 History and evolution of Kalamkari painting
In the middle ages, groups of singers, musicians and painters, called chitrakattis, would travel
from village to village, narrating great stories from Hindu mythology. With time, they started
illustrating their accounts on large bolts of canvas painted on the spot, using rudimentary means
and dyes extracted from plants. This marked the birth of Kalamkari art. By and
by, Kalamkari started featuring in the large panels of temples too.
Then there was a sudden and steep decline
in Kalamkari for a while, after which it was
revived during the British Raj in
Bangladesh. At the present time, there is a
clear upsurge in interest in the art form by
designers, NGOs and entrepreneurs living and
working in nearby cities. A range of products
are now created using Kalamkari cloth and are
available for sale at craft exhibitions, small
boutiques and even from the artists
themselves. Kalamkari paintings now enjoy
flourishing trade on a global scale.

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5.4 Paatachitra Painting
Bangladesh is a country that is
steeped in culture and in various arts,
including dance, music, architecture,
and painting. Among the painting
traditions, the devotional art of the
Paata paintings or patachitra on
cloth, is a very popular style that
centers around the worship of Lord
Jagannath, a manifestation of Sri
Krishna.
This type of folk art painting includes wall paintings, palm-leaf etching, manuscript
painting and painting on cloth, both cotton and silk. Chitrakar painters in and around
very village have been practising this living art form for ages. The art of Pata painting on cloth
can be traced right back to the very development of the shrine of Lord Jagannath.

32
5.4.1 Chitrakars
The artists who paint patachitras are known as chitrakaras. Often, it
is one whole family that is engaged in this craft, headed by the master
chitrakar of the family. Sometimes, this master also operates a studio
which trains other junior artists working under him. The chitrakaras
usually live in the vicinities of temples, such as the Jagannath temple
in Puri and also in the village of Raghurajpur, just outside Puri.
Besides painting these patachitras, the chitrakaras have other duties as
well, such as painting anasara patis. This are paintings, which
temporarily replace the main images of the three deities - Jagannath,
Balaram and Subhadra, at the time when those deities are considered
"inauspicious" and "unfit" for viewing by the faithful.
The chitrakaras also have to paint on the cars, or chariots, on which
Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra ride during the annual ratha
yatra (car) festival each summer. During this particular festival, the
main deity. The artisans paint pedi, or dowry boxes, that are given to the
bride at the time of marriage.

5.4.2 Technique of Paata painting
Patachitra painting, when done on cloth, follows a traditional process of preparation of
the canvas. Firstly, the base is prepared by coating the cloth with soft, white,
stone powder made of chalk. A glue is then made from tamarind seeds. This
mixture, while coated on the cloth, gives the fabric tensile strength and a
smooth, semi-absorbent surface, which lets it easily absorb the paint.
Patachitra paintings were traditionally undertaken only by the mahapatras or
maharanas. These paintings constituted a vital art form, which was actually used for
the ornamentation of Lord Jagannath in the innermost sanctum. Here, paintings on
especially treated cloth or Paata of the deities were done exclusively by the temple
painter. The painter used tribal and folk themes.
33

The main aspect about this art is that the artisan does not use
a pencil or charcoal for the preliminary drawings. He first
completes drawing the borders of the painting. Only then
does he start making a rough sketch, directly with the
brush, using light red and yellow colors. The main flat
colors come next. Here, the colors used are white, red,
yellow, and black. Once that is done, the artist proceeds to
finish the painting with fine stokes of black brush lines, giving
the effect of pen work.
5.4.2 Technique of Paata Chitra painting
When the painting is
completed, the fabric is
held over a charcoal fire
and lacquer is applied to
the surface. This is done
so as to make it water
resistant and durable,
besides giving it that
wonderful shimmering
finish
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5.4.3 Materials used in Paatachitra
The materials used by the chitrakars in patachitra are obtained from
natural sources, such as from vegetables, earth, and minerals. Black is
gotten from lampblack, yellow from haritali stone, and red from hingal
stone. The color white is prepared from crushed, boiled, and filtered
shells.
Patachitra usually deals with religious, mythological, and folk themes.
Needless to say, most of the motifs revolve around tales from the Krishna
Leela and Lord Jagannath. The artists have also traditionally painted
playing cards or Ganjifa. Chitra-pothies, a collection of painted palm leaves
stacked on top of each other and held together between painted wood
covers by means of a string, illustrate mythological themes.
The patachitra artists have now started experimenting with this art on
other surfaces too, such as wooden boxes, ceramic bowls, tassar silk,
outer shells of the coconut, wooden doors and so on. Now, they are
even working planning to create painted wooden toys, using animals and
birds in their motifs. The English alphabet is cut in the wood and painted
in the patachitra style for sale. This is now gaining immense popularity
with tourists all round the world
34

5.4.4 Themes used in Paatachitra
Patachitra uses many themes, but mainly, the following
are the themes depicted by the artists:
•Mythological episodes taken from the Hindu epics
•Various tales and legends related to the worship of
various gods and goddesses
•Quaint folklore themes
•Sometimes, even erotic themes
35

5.5 Terracota
The term terracotta is used to refer to items made out
of this material and to its natural, brownish orange
color, which varies considerably. In archaeology and art
history, "terracotta" is often used of objects not made
on a potter's wheel, such as figurines, where objects
made on the wheel from the same material, possibly
even by the same person, are called pottery; the choice of
term depending on the type of object rather than the
material.
The terra cotta art used in the Kantajee temple of Dinajpur
is remarkable in terms of texture and quality. The
―Neelpadma‖ found in the Lalmai of Comilla is
unparalleled. Some of these artifacts have been kept in the
site museums at various locations. The folk arts of these
categories are now being used most tastefully in modern
design.
36

6. Folk Art as profession in Bangladesh
If you visit slums of Dhaka, you'll find talented professionals such weavers, potters etc. who are
now daily labourer or beggars. These people have provided thousands of years sustainable products
for generations but now plastic and aluminium products have displaced them. Thirty percent of about
15 million population in Dhaka city are recent migrants from the rural areas of Bangladesh, but
unlike many other Third World cities this influx was not accompanied by industrialization.
The production of pottery is one of the most ancient arts. The oldest known body of pottery dates from
the Jomon period (from about 10,500 to 400 BC) in Japan; and even the earliest Jomon pottery
exhibit a unique sophistication of technique and design. Excavations in the Near East have revealed
that primitive fired-clay vessels were made there more than 8,000 years ago. Potters were working in
Iran by about 5500 BC, and earthenware was probably being produced even earlier on the Iranian
high plateau. Chinese potters had developed characteristic techniques by about 5000 BC. In the New
World many pre-Columbian American cultures developed highly artistic pottery traditions. The Indian
sub-continent including the area which includes Bangladesh was also famous for pottery.
Regardless of time or place, basic pottery techniques have varied little except in ancient America, where
the potter's wheel was unknown. Among the requisites of success are correct composition of the clay
body by using balanced materials; skill in shaping the wet clay on the wheel or pressing it into molds;
and, most important, firing at the correct temperature. The last operation depends vitally on the
experience, judgment, and technical skill of the potter (Prodip Aich, The Independent, October 13,
2003).
From third century B. C. and twelfth century A. D. pottery, terra cotta figurines and plaques were most
abundant in Bangladesh (Mahmud. F.,(1987). The earliest specimens of pottery are those of the
Northern Black Polished Ware. This pottery spread into Bangladesh from the north later than fourth
century B. C.
38

7. Present situation of heritage place
The discovery of specimens of pottery at Mahasangarh, north Bengal from third century B. C. to
sixteenth century A. D. reflect the evolution of pottery in cultural setting. Pottery represents the
largest single category of antiquities at Mainamati (SE of Dhaka). The subject matter portrayed in
the Mainamati terra cotta plaques is overwhelming, it includes almost everything that can be found in the
life and imagination of the Bengal countryside.
Varied specimens of pottery have been discovered at Pharpur, N. Bengal (ancient residential
University of Bangladesh). There are above 2000 terra cotta plaques still embellishing the outer wall
of the Pharpur temple
39
7.1 Consciousness of UNESCO
The Unesco yesterday (29. 09. 04) called for raising mass awareness about the rich cultural heritage
sites in the country. "Bangladesh is a resourceful country because of its rich cultural heritage and
has got a bright future... but it needs to preserve those heritage sites," Unesco Representative
Wolfgang Vollmann told a press briefing in the city. He said identification of 355 national cultural heritage
sites is only a tip of the iceberg; thousands of similar others need proper attention (Daily Star, September
30, 2004).

54
 The Condition of Folk culture of Bangladesh is not good. So Government /concern authority should
take necessary steps to save and protect folk culture as early as. Possible .
 Government should take policy culture in men / women in folk culture in Bangladesh.
 Build up public awareness through. Education for our national heritage.
 Govt. should take necessary steps for list publicity
 The elements of the folk culture should be concerned from any sort of distortion destruction.
Government should form a committee to rescued folk elements from various races of Bangladesh.
 Steps should be taken at Govt. level to conserve the endangered elements of folk culture.
 The qualitative value of the folk elements should be enhanced.
 It should be freed from urban culture.
 It should be freed from the influence of our culture
8. Recommendation

54
9. Conclusion
The above discussion is an attempt to look at the art of Bangladesh within the larger context of its
history of transformation and fragmentation. It follows historical events, which have created traditions,
brought changes to imagined ones, or denied them as well as re-evaluating what they signify. The notion
of tradition has played an important role in art; sometimes it has been the catalyst that has brought
about a reversal of ideas of identity. Traditions, their making, unmaking, and re-making, have been
constantly debated throughout the history of the region/nation. The fundamental principles of state
policy of Bangladesh have also been revised to a point where they almost seem to backtrack. The
fragmentation of identities at different junctures of history has led to the formulation and assumption of
new identities and the intelligentsia, of which artists are a part, have played a significant role in this
activity. Art has reflected major political changes: the quest for a ‘lost’ past by the Bengal School; the
assumption of Muslim identity after the birth of Pakistan; the reclamation of Bengali heritage in the face
of Pakistani hegemony engendered by the Language Movement, with the parallel introduction and
assimilation of ‘modern’ art with its ‘universal’ values and the encounter with the ‘West’; the War of
Liberation and the time of optimism when the nation renewed its faith in ‘Bengali heritage’ and the
confusion and disappointments that followed which led to newer engagements with heritage. The
developing characteristics of the Bangladeshi art world are studied as it expands towards the global, and
signifiers of ‘tradition’ are hybridized to give Bangladeshi art a distinctive identity in a plural world.
This paper explores how and why ‘traditions’ continue to play an active role in Bangladeshi art,
rejuvenating and nourishing the practice of contemporary ‘fine’ artists trying to make a mark in a
globalized world
The introduction or picture of a nation is found in her culture. If the culture collapses, the nation
will be identify less. So every nation should protect or preserve her culture for her existence.
The folklore culture of Bangles is now on the way of ruin. So it is the duty of every citizen nurture
it and to prepare it. If we can protect our folk one culture, the nation will find her existence very
early If is impossible to reflect all the folk one culture of within this very short line. I hope, it will
be fulfill at the hand of extraordinary expert in the course of him

 Tofail Ahmad, Loka-Aitihyer Dash Diganta, Dhaka, 1999;
 Ajit Mookherjee, Folk Toys of India, Calcutta, 1956;
 Abanindranath Tagore, Banglar Vrata, Calcutta, 1947;
 Dinesh Chandra Sen,Brihat Vanga, 1st Part, Calcutta, 1934.
10. References
55
THE END

Folk art of Bangladesh

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