As diverse is the culture of India, similar is the diversity in the age-old art forms existing in India, through out centuries. One such form of art is the Warli paintings coming from Maharashtra. Simplicity is the major attraction of these paintings. The paintings revolve around the Warli tribes doing their daily chores. They draw with Bamboo sticks and use only color white. This color is either made from white chalk powder or rice paste.
The designs mainly consist of geometrical patterns mostly made out of human forms. It is believed that every pattern has a significance of its own. Hence to understand the deeper meaning of the paintings one needs to understand the meaning of the pattern first.
The tribal folks are a very creative lot and keep updating the pictures often. On observing further, it can be seen that the tribes have well managed to strike a balance between traditional warli paintings and new style designs. According to some historians, the art form came into existence between 2500-3000 BC.
The designs of warli painting is easy and can be done by many however the complexity of Warli paintings doesn’t lie in its pattern but in the thought behind it. Warli paintings got more exposure from 1970’s onwards. Before this the paintings were done more by the women folks however once it caught the eye of art lovers even men from urban areas mastered the art. Not long after that, Warli paintings were appreciated by people world over, with a craving for good art.