Fascinating Beasts of India

Humans have always depicted the intense relationship between man and nature by way of art. Right from our cave inscriptions & drawings to today’s contemporary art landscape.

In a country such as India, which still boasts a wonderful diversity of wild life, this tradition is kept alive by tribal artists in their own distinct manner. Nature in general & animals in particular are a common motif in almost all tribal art forms in India.

We came across a book illustrating the fascinating beasts of India in various tribal art styles and thought of sharing it with you. It is called: “Beasts of India” by Kanchana Arni & Gita Wolf.

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The book is screen printed by hand with traditional Indian dyes onto handmade paper and comes with a framable screen print of one animal from the book. It is a great way to be introduced to and also to start a collection of tribal art forms for yourself. This article here gives a beautiful description of the book and its contents.

During a recent visit to India, we had the opportunity to be exposed to wildlife in the country in their natural habitat.

While the experience left us thrilled, it was also clear that a lot still needs to be done to ensure the survival of these fantastic beasts. Tribal artists such as Santosh Maravi have documented the disappearance of their homes and the effect that man is having on nature in their sad yet thought-provoking paintings. We have included some examples here.

Shop our animal and tribal art inspired home decor accessories here