MATERIAL Hand painting done on cloth with wooden handles
COLOUR Colorful, Black and White Portraits
The hand painted scrolls have been a major handicraft of the Darjeeling Hills. The paintings depict portraits and scenes related to Tibetan/Buddhism and Nepali culture and are painted in a black cotton cloth. They are absolutely hand painted and the approach is traditional: the outlines are etched by arrowroot powder and the artists show their level of perfectionism by drawing the portraits freely by using different strokes of brushes and colors. The black canvas is chosen as the artist need not worry about painting the background and can easily work on the main theme: portrait, scene and so on.
Historically, these were crafted by the indigenous women, who were paid for the fine art. These are still produced locally with the traditional techniques and signifies the blending of Tibetan and Nepali culture, when these were produced by the Nepali people and shipped to Tibet as well as various regions of India.
We are helping to promote and support the local artisans, to grow and get recognized for their talents. Any handcraft purchased benefits the local artisans keeping the centuries old tradition alive.
