GALLERY VAYU presents a group show titled Auspice and Abundance: Ritual Paintings from Hazaribagh, showcasing the works of Malo Devi, Putli Ganju, Parvati Devi and Rudhan Devi. In the forested villages of Hazaribagh, walls of homes have long been treated as living surfaces. Moments of harvest and marriage are marked by women painting for blessing. These are not pictures in the ordinary sense, but ritual acts of renewal. A house is made ready for abundance. A new life is welcomed. The earth itself becomes a participant in ritual. Sohrai paintings mark the season of harvest. The colours are drawn from soil, leaves, charcoal, and stone. Animals, vines, birds, and flowing lines speak of fertility and the steady intelligence of nature. Khovar paintings belong to the inner room of marriage. Made by layering dark and light earth and then gently cutting through the surface, they reveal patterns that seem to emerge from within the wall itself. Both traditions are carried by memory rather than instruction, passed quietly from one generation of women to the next. Renowned artists Malo Devi, Putli Ganju, Parvati Devi, and Rudhan Devi illuminate these traditions and bring them to life in ‘Auspice and Abundance: ritual paintings from hazaribag’.
Find out more about the show here.
