Untitled II

1977-78

Indian, 1934 - 2018

In Warli paintings, humans are represented as sticklike figures with two inverse triangles that are joined together to form a waist—the top triangle represents the torso and the lower the pelvis. The triangles’ precarious balance represents the equilibrium of the universe. Through such geometric shapes, the figures also have a sense of movement and animation.

Thematically, Warli paintings cover day-to-day activities of village life. From gathering coconuts to tending to animals to cultivating rice, there is an emphasis on the human connection to nature. Because making is knowing, artists use natural materials such as bamboo sticks instead of paint brushes to further the connection between themselves and their environment. The technique of layering cow dung on the canvas is another example of this connection and also provides an uneven ground that further enhances the vitality of the painting.

Rice powder mixed with white paint on cow dung (mixed with adhesive-coated burlap)

26 x 19 1/2 in. (66 x 49.5 cm)

Gift of Beth Elpern Burrows

2021.37.2

Provenance: [Gallery Chemould, Mumbai, India]; purchased from gallery by Beth Burrows, Edmonds, Washington, 1978; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2021

Photo: Scott Leen

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view July 21, 2022 - Jan. 8, 2023].

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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