* Mithila Art: ＜Janakpur Women’s Development Centre＞

[다정/김규현]

* Mithila Art

The vibrant artwork produced by Maithili women can be traced back as far as the 7th century and has been passed from generation to generation since. As the former capital of the kingdom of Mithila, Janakpur has emerged as the centre for both preserving and promoting this ancient art.

Mithila painting is part decoration and part social commentary, recording the lives of rural women in a society where reading and writing are reserved for high-caste men. Scenes in Mithila paintings colourfully record the female experience of life in the Terai – work, childbirth, marriage and the social network among village women. Today you will also see more modern subject matter, such as aeroplanes and buses, blended with traditional themes like Hindu mythology and village life.

Traditionally, Mithila paintings were used as a transient form of decoration during festivals when the mud walls of village huts were painted in white and ochre with abstract patterns or complex scenes of everyday village life. You can still see houses in the villages surrounding Janakpur with painted walls and raised patterns. More recently, Mithila painting has taken off as a more contemporary and collectable art form, with women artists painting on canvases of rough handmade paper that is similar in texture to the mud hut walls. Not only are Mithila paintings now exhibited in galleries across the world, but more importantly the art has also opened up a new industry for women in impoverished rural communities.

One of the best-known social projects is the Janakpur Women’s Development Centre, just south of the city in the village of Kuwa. Around 40 Maithili women are employed at the centre, producing paper paintings, papier-mâché boxes and mirrors, screen-printed fabrics and hand-thrown ceramics. Money raised goes directly towards improving the lives of rural women. A rickshaw from Janakpur to the centre will cost around Rs 150 to Rs 200.

[As0721]