Inspiring kolam artists Panguni kolam with Latha During the Tamil month of Panguni (mid-March to mid-April), a nine day-long festival takes place at Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore, Chennai. The celebrations start with the flag hoisting. The idols of Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal mounted on a vehicle are decorated with clothes and jewels.
Inspiring kolam artists Inspiring women "Anantha Valli and Latha" It all started with an invitation to watch the kolam making in the lane of the very popular canteen called “Mami Tiffen stall” in Mylapore, Chennai.
Chantal Jumel Bhoomi Chitra, organised by Intach-Madurai Intach-Madurai invites you to a conference on Indian floor paintings by Chantal Jumel.
Chantal Jumel A French connection to Kolams Chennai has an enthusiastic visitor from France every year, during Margazhi season. Meet Chantal Jumel.
Inspiring kolam artists Inspiring women "Ramamani Hanasoge" Ramamani lives in Bangalore and she draws daily in front of her Tulasi pot, stories of Krishna on a granite slab with powders.
Chantal Jumel Connecting the dots outside our homes Drawing a kolam is an everyday chore for many women but how many are aware of its aesthetics and what the dots signify? Through pictures and lectures, French photographer Chantal Jumel enlightens us.
Chantal Jumel Photography exhibition on KOLAM DAKSHINA CHITRA, Chennai, February 13 to March 20, 2016
Bibliography/Ephemeral art Bengal alpona, "Books and references" A selection of books on alpona written by researchers, alpona artists, and art lovers. Some paintings inspired by alpona.
Makara Sankranti/Poush Sankranti Bengal alpona, "Poush Sankranti in the villages"— part 5 Alpona adorn the courtyards of houses. A closer look reveals houses, stables or kitchens. Sometimes with pictograms of humans or animals inside, and offerings of chillies, onions, pea pods, different types of seeds meant for the kitchen, and grass.
Makara Sankranti/Poush Sankranti Bengal alpona, "Poush Sankranti at Sumitra’s home" — part 4 Drawings on the walls include agricultural tools, kitchen utensils, lotuses, fish, birds, abstract human figures, divine feet, mangoes, betel leaves, a palanquin, a pot of vermilion, arm ornaments and circular granaries.
Brata/rituals Bengal alpona, "At Sumitra’s home"— part 3 In the centre of the courtyard, wrapped in a white shawl, Sumitra paints with a confident hand on the beaten earth. She guides the milky substance between her fingers and invokes the presence of Goddess Lakshmi by repeating her footprints like an incantation.
Goddess Durga Bengal alpona, "Meeting with Kolkata" — part 2 Then on to Kumartuli, another mythical place in Kolkata. It is here that potters and sculptors make idols of the goddess Durga, which, once painted and dressed, are carried in procession before disappearing into the river.
Alpana/alpona Bengal Bengal alpona, "The River by Jean Renoir"— part 1 The Bengal I have been dreaming of since I was a teenager is the Bengal of villages and the graphic creativity of the women, as in the opening scene of Jean Renoir's film "The River", shot in 1950 in Barrackpore near Kolkata.
Alpana/alpona Bengal Alpona: Images and Symbols of Bengali Women In Bengal, ephemeral designs are called alpona, alpana or alimpan and are associated with rituals called brata performed by women during festivals.
Kolam/Tamil Nadu Jain rice designs to liberate the soul According to Jain scriptures, every man or woman has to draw auspicious symbols with unbroken rice before starting the daily prayers.
Inspiring kolam artists Inspiring women "Maheswari" Maheswari considers her kolam drawing as a seva or a disinterested service. The technic used here is called "maavu kolam". It is done by soaking rice and grinding it smooth. Then, the kolam is drawn with the help of a piece of cloth dipped in the liquid and carefully driven by the middle finger.
Inspiring kolam artists Inspiring women "Janaki Gopalan" My immense pleasure as soon as I reach Chennai is to read "The Hindu" newspaper. One year, I came across a few lines mentioning the publication of a kolam book. Next day I went to CP Ramaswami Aiyer Foundation in Alwarpet, bought the book, and contacted right away, the artist Mrs Janaki Gopalan.
Festival culturel du Tibet et des peuples de l'Himalaya Tchenrezig (Sanskrit, Avalokiteshvara), the Buddha of Great Compassion is invoked through a sand mandala by the monks of Gaden Jangtse monastery.
Chantal Jumel Kolam Diaries and the language of OM "Unbound line that traverses Elements", an exhibition by French artist Chantal Jumel, is inspired from a gamut of topics that range from contemporary issues to Upanishads to the ephemeral kolam.
Chantal Jumel Fascination for Floor Art Chantal Jumel has made Mylapore her year-end home, to study local creative work.
Chantal Jumel Global fame for the humble kolam French researcher Chantal Jumel's fascination for the kolam led her to document this traditional practice.
Bibliography/Ephemeral art Rajasthan mandana paintings, "Books and references" Various books on mandana tradition
Mandana/Rajasthan Rajasthan mandana, "Adorning the floors and the home for Diwali" — part 6 In Rajasthan floor paintings, most patterns of animate beings come to life on the vertical surfaces of the house, except for the symbolic representations of the footprints of Goddess Lakshmi, called paglya, and the hoof prints of the cow which are drawn on the floor inside and outside the house.
Mandana/Rajasthan Rajasthan mandana, "Adorning the floors for Diwali" — part 5 During Diwali, houses are renovated, mud houses are repaired, the thatched roofs are redone. Walls, courtyards, cooking hearths, inner rooms, pillars, doorways are decorated with mandana, and women draw inspiration from various sources.