Tribal art goes global: Rs 1.5 million painting at Delhi’s Tribes Art Fest

Tribal art, which was once confined to villages and forests, is now reaching major art galleries in global cities. Paintings created by tribal artists are now finding admirers in cities such as London and Paris. A recent example of this growing recognition can be seen at the Tribes Art Fest 2026 being held in the national Capital.

The exhibition, which began on March 3 at Travancore Palace in the Capital, has already recorded the sale of artworks worth nearly Rs 3 million. Several paintings displayed at the event are also receiving demand from countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, and Switzerland. The exhibition will remain open to the public until March 13. According to Ranjana Chopra, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, artworks worth nearly `3 million have already been sold within the first four days of the exhibition.

Fifty-year-old Putli Ganju from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand is known for her traditional Sohrai art. Her paintings have been exhibited abroad, and she is gradually gaining recognition among art lovers in Europe.

Similarly, 32-year-old Santoshi Shyam from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh is a Gond art artist. Earlier, Santoshi used natural colors and painted entirely by hand, but she has now begun using acrylic paints and brushes to present Gond art in a modern style. One of her paintings is priced at around Rs 120,000, and her work is in demand in countries such as Australia and France.

The most expensive painting at the exhibition is priced at Rs 1.5 million. It has been created by Ravi Kumar Tekam, an artist from Madhya Pradesh. The Gond art painting, titled Triyaphool, took him nearly two and a half to three months to complete.

Forty-year-old Ravi has been working in Gond art for the past 30 years. He shared that one of his earlier paintings was purchased by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department for Rs 2.5 million. That artwork depicted a dramatic scene of a lion and a wild boar fighting in the forest. A total of 73 artists are participating in the event, including more than 45 women. The Government aims to provide a larger platform to these artists and connect their work with international markets.

The exhibition at Travancore Palace in Delhi features artists from 16 States and showcases more than 30 forms of tribal art. These include traditional styles such as Warli, Gond, Bhil, Dhokra, Sohrai, Koya, Kurumba, Saura, Bodo, Oraon, Mandana, and Godna, along with bamboo craft from Northeast India.

The Government believes that events like these are helping tribal art gain national and international recognition. They are also opening new opportunities, larger markets, and sustainable livelihoods for tribal artists.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, such initiatives are being promoted to give India’s traditional art forms a global platform.

Art enthusiasts in Delhi can visit the exhibition until March 13 and view more than 1,000 artworks by 73 artists at one venue.