Overview:

The Indian Painting Department is dedicated to preserving, studying, and innovating upon India’s rich and diverse painting traditions. The department blends classical styles with modern expressions, encouraging students to understand cultural heritage while exploring personal and contemporary artistic voices.

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Core Objectives:

• Develop technical skills in traditional Indian painting styles.

• Study the philosophical and symbolic meanings in Indian visual culture.

• Learn about materials, motifs, and storytelling methods unique to Indian art.

• Encourage reinterpretation and innovation within Indian visual traditions.

• Promote awareness of regional styles and their historical contexts.

 

Traditional Styles Covered:

• Miniature Painting – Including Mughal, Rajput, Pahari, and Deccan styles.

• Madhubani Painting – Folk art from Bihar, using geometric and symbolic motifs.

• Warli Art – Tribal painting style from Maharashtra, using simple forms and storytelling.

• Pattachitra – Scroll painting from Odisha and Bengal, often depicting mythological themes.

• Kalamkari – Hand-painted textile art with detailed figurative imagery.

• Tanjore Painting – South Indian devotional art characterized by rich color and gold leaf.

 

Materials and Techniques:

• Use of natural dyes, mineral pigments, and handmade paper or fabric.

• Mastery in fine brushwork, layering, and detailed ornamentation.

• Traditional tools such as squirrel-hair brushes and hand-ground pigments.

• Incorporation of gold leaf, shell powder, and other embellishments.

 

Facilities and Learning Environment:

• Studios equipped for miniature, mural, and folk art practices.

• Access to natural pigment preparation labs.

• Libraries with manuscripts, historical painting archives, and visual resources.

• Guest lectures by master artists and field visits to cultural sites.

 

Curriculum and Activities:

• Foundation courses in drawing, symbolism, and composition.

• Practical workshops in traditional painting techniques.

• Art history and aesthetics focused on Indian visual culture.

• Research projects on regional and tribal art forms.

• Collaborative exhibitions with cultural institutions and museums.

• Revival projects of dying art forms with rural artists and communities.

 

Career Opportunities:

Graduates may become:

• Professional traditional or contemporary Indian painters

• Art educators or historians

• Conservators and restorers of Indian art

• Cultural researchers or curators

• Designers for heritage crafts and textile industries