It is an art form that very few would have heard of. But Pichwai, which originated Nathdwara is an intricate work of art executed on cloth and paper that illustrate stories from the life of lord Krishna. The word pich means behind and wai means hanging. There is a tradition in Nathdwara temple to hang paintings as a backdrop of Shri Nathji idol. Unfortunately, the art form today, is lost to posterity.
However, there are some like Pooja Singhal, a Delhi-ased art enthusiast and designer who are trying to revive the art not only by reproducing old works but also by encouraging budding artists to make new paintings. “The aim is to make Pichwai affordable for young collectors who want to own a piece of history. Hence, what we are doing is to make smaller versions of the art,” Singhal tells you adding that her passion began at a very young age.
“I belong to Udaipur. My mother was an art collector and loved traditional paintings. I would go with her whenever there was an exhibition. My passion and interest developed from there. I love Pichwai because of its aesthetics, the way it looks, the various elements and the detailing. There is so many things happening in just one painting; it looks beautiful and well-balanced. For me it is the most amazing style of painting till date,” Singhal says.
But to bring this art form to the forefront has been tough. She tells you that to begin with, she found it difficult to find good pieces; the ones she found were no good. So she tied up with some of the old artists and started recreating them. This required a lot of research and meeting old collectors who have a huge collection.
“I pick out an old authentic piece which is not available in the market and ask the artists to reproduce it without changing the form. This way, a person can own a Pichwai without spending too much money and the form remains alive,” Singhal says who is in the process of setting up a school to revive the art.
“Interestingly, the art form is not about painting whatever comes to an artist’s mind. It is about depicting the happening inside the temple. “Artists would sit and watch the events occurring inside the temple. They would then draw it. In absence of photography this was their way to capture the moment,” Singhal tells you.
But, there was not enough money and soon the artists and with them art disappeared. Today, one can get a reproduction of the traditional as well as contemporary version. One is told that a Pichwai with nandi and lotus are very popular. The good part is that this style has many takers. Some buy it because they love art, others buy it because they are worshippers of lord Krishna. Either way, it is good for the art and the artist.
With an exhibition of the art forming in the Capital this week and the fact that Pichwai was recently showcased in Chicago means that the style may have just been given another life.