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Lot 96

 

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Jivya Soma Mashe is one of the most well-known practitioners of Warli art, "who has been able to make a break with his tradition and yet carry it forward." (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Painted World of the Warlis: Art and Ritual of the Warli Tribes of Maharashtra, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Academy, p. 221)

Warli art comes from the tribes of the Thane district of Maharashtra, which lies along the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains. The... Jivya Soma Mashe is one of the most well-known practitioners of Warli art, "who has been able to make a break with his tradition and yet carry it forward." (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Painted World of the Warlis: Art and Ritual of the Warli Tribes of Maharashtra, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Academy, p. 221)

Warli art comes from the tribes of the Thane district of Maharashtra, which lies along the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains. The exuberant, swirling geometric patterns of Warli art are countered by the austere white paint with which they adorn brown mud walls. Unlike much Indian folk art, which is rooted in myth and religion, Warli art traditionally depicts social functions, the marriage ceremony in particular. It is a way of inter and intra-personal communication, recording events, and transmitting local stories pictorially, without the use of the written word.

Warli figuration is based on geometric forms, such as the circle taken from the moon and sun, the triangle simplified from mountains and trees, and the square, which has no natural equivalent and is therefore used to symbolise sacred enclosures. Human bodies are represented by two triangles, which are animated by an extraordinary quality of vibrancy. The composition of a scene in Warli art is based on providing a clear coherence and order while expressing the belief that life is in constant and cyclical movement. There is no linear timeline for events. The trees, crops, abodes, and humans who inhabit and animate the world are in harmony with the cosmos, which provides a divine order.

Mashe was born in 1934 in the Dahanu district of Maharashtra and experienced a difficult childhood that made him hide behind complete silence till the age of four. Art became his only mode of expression during this period. He initially followed the Warli tradition of making art on walls, but gradually switched to paper and canvas since they presented him with smooth surfaces that played a critical role in the evolution of his style. As a result, the ephemeral nature of wall art was transformed into a more permanent and personal style.

Mashe's art drew inspiration from the folklore and stories of celebration that were narrated to the children in his community from a very early age and encapsulates his personal philosophy that life is in constant and cyclical movement. An important aspect in his works is the fluidity with which he paints every object and figure. There is a sense of constant movement within the paintings, yet each detail is incorporated with utmost precision, as evident in lots 92-96.

Herve Perdriolle, a French gallerist and curator who spent some time with the artist says, "When we look carefully at Jivya Soma Mashe's paintings, we are particularly struck by the movement, the quality of the details, lightness, and simultaneously the precision of the stroke. There is no hesitation in his works. As seen in every detail, he goes directly to the essence in both the design and composition with the natural simplicity of the ingenue. The teeming profusion of strokes, lines, and dots on the canvas vibrate with energy, constructing skilled compositions that themselves reinforce the dynamism of the whole... The themes that recur in his production - such as the daily activities of his family and the legends of the Warli - are also pretexts for a constant eulogy to movement." (Herve Perdriolle, Indian Art: Contemporary, One World, Several Worlds, Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2012, p. 123)

Mashe has received much international acclaim both in India, and internationally. In 1974, he met Bhaskar Kulkarni, an artist who brought his art to the attention of galleries in Mumbai. Mashe's first solo exhibition was held at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai in 1975. He represented India at the show Magicians of the Earth at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 1989, along with Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam. Both artists' works were featured in the exhibition Other Masters of India, curated by Jyotinder Jain, at the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris in 2010.

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