Dulari Devi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Known for | Madhubani Art |
| Style | Bharni, Kachnhi |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Dulari Devi (born 1968) is an Indian artist and illustrator, working in theMithila art tradition. In 2021, she was a recipient of thePadma Shri, a civilian honour granted by theGovernment of India, for her contributions to art.[1]
Devi lives in the village of Ranti, in the State ofBihar, in India, and was born into the marginalised DalitMallaahcaste. She was married at the age of thirteen, but returned to live with her family at the age of eighteen, after the death of her child. She did not receive any formal education, and learned to draw and illustrate in the Madhubani style while she was working as a domestic servant in the home of Madhubani artistMahasundari Devi. Mahasundari Devi introduced her to another artist,Karpoori Devi, who also taught Dulari Devi Madhubani art and techniques.[2][3][4]
Dulari's work follows theMadhubani art tradition (sometimes called Mithila art), a folk art school that developed in the Indian state ofBihar. She practices both, the ‘Kachnhi' (line sketching) ‘and ‘Bharni’ (colored) styles of Madhubani but has indicated a preference for the latter.[2][3] Although the usage of these styles has traditionally been confined to membership in specific castes, critic Sunil Kumar has described her work as being able to move between traditional stylistic divisions and occupy both fields, praising her "immense skill."[2][5] In addition, her choice of themes and description has been cited as an example of the increasing expression of empowerment among women.[5] Her work has also been described as "...combining community traditions with modern themes".[6]
Her work has been featured as part of course material in theMaithili language at theIndira Gandhi National Open University.[3][7] In 2005, her work was curated as part of an exhibition focusing on the use of traditional imagery in Madhubani art by Narendra Narayan Sinha.[8] In 2010, Devi and several other folk artists recorded tribal folklore in their art, which was anthologized by publisher Tara Books in a volume of silk-screen prints, titledSun and Moon.[9] In 2018, her painting titled "Prime MinisterNarendra Modi arriving at a village in a helicopter" was part of a curated exhibit of Madhubani art at theAsian Art Museum inSan Francisco. The exhibition, titled 'Painting is My Everything', curated by Qamar Adamjee, was named after a quote taken from Devi's description of her own career as an artist.[10] In addition to painting, Devi has completed a number of murals for the Central and state governments in India, and teaches Madhubani art techniques to children.[2] She is an instructor at the Madhubani Art Institute, located in Madhubani, in Bihar.[11]
In 2011, Devi published an illustrated autobiography titledFollowing My Paint Brush, which she co-wrote with writer and publisherGita Wolf.[12][6] Her recent paintings, documenting the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns in her community, have been acquired byPrinceton University for their Graphic Arts Collection.[13] Her work has also been featured at an exhibition called 'Tradition and Transformation: Mithila Art of India' at theWilliam Benton Museum of Art following a donation of her art pieces from the Ethnic Art Foundation and Katherine Myers.[14][15] Director Nataša Urban is in research to build a documentary starring her, called "Better to be a tree than a girl". It is a documentary about a group of young women painters from Bihar, India, who use the ancient Mithila painting style to fight discrimination and patriarchy.[16]