Snake
2005
An Indigenous art form, Adivasi painting represents an important cornerstone of the modern and contemporary art movement of South Asia. The artists use traditional tribal styles culled from mural and pottery techniques, and they turned to the new medium of paper to accommodate international exhibitions. Such works were created and exhibited for three primary purposes: to draw attention to the concerns of tribal people in the region related to land rights and resource extraction (which threatens the tribes’ well-being), to preserve tribal art forms and styles, and to provide empowerment and financial support for the women artists who create these works for the villages.
Sohrai colored in ochre acrylic (earth colors with commercial binders) on paper
Painting: 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (14 x 19.1 cm)
Frame: 12 1/4 x 15 1/4 in. (31.1 x 38.7 cm)
Gift of Joseph E. Reid and Batya Friedman
2022.30.18
Provenance: The artist (Tribal Women Artists Cooperative, Hazaribagh, India); gifted and sold, via Bulu Iman (Founder, Tribal Women Artists Cooperative), to Joseph Reid (d. 2016), Winthrop, Washington, 2008; bequeathed to Batya Friedman, Seattle, Washington, 2016; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2022
Photo: Scott Leen
