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Bhanu Dudhat is that rare breed of scroll painter, who can enliven even a staid story with local motifs, a few words and pictures that are so peculiar to his art. Artist Bhanu Dudhat, age 67 years does not see himself as an artist, but as someone who strives to preserve India’s rich culture and glorious history. His artworks are a testimony to this fact, and more, as they depict with stark clarity several events of mythological and religious significance. At the age of five, temple walls were his canvas, where he used to make portraits of national leaders as well as Gods. His talent and creations grew in stellar proportions over the years. Highlight of his career as an artist is the scroll painting work, he undertook first in 1985, in order to widen his horizons and translate his ideas into real work. “I always felt that an artist’s creations should be of use to the society in terms of information and insights.
Bhanu Dudhat
Bhanu Dudhat is that rare breed of scroll painter, who can enliven even a staid story with local motifs, a few words and pictures that are so peculiar to his art.
Afflicted with polio, this 67-year-old artist is simply a magic painter who has kept alive the ancient art of storytelling with embellishments of words and pictures.
His painting on Kashmir with Kargil in the backdrop is a top draw for people. This 55-meter long and 5-foot high painting encapsulates the complete history of Indus Valley Civilization and Kargil War.
It is just one work of art. But it took four years to complete, that too by four artists. Clearly, it is a work of some scale. Try this for size: the said scroll painting is 55 metres long (imagine a painting whose length runs a little more than four Volvo buses in a row). But its sheer size (55 metres by 42 inch) alone is not the scene stealer. The painting by Bhanu Dudhat and his family – wife Prabha, son Kailash and daughter-in-law Anamika – claims the record of being the longest Ramayana painting in the world. Pictorially showcases the entire Ramayana – right from the birth of Rama to his return to Ayodhya after the slaying of Lanka king Ravana.
Why do you need to see this scroll? Apart from its scale, the lead artist Bhanu is armed with a sound knowledge of the art, Bhanu has veered from the ‘contemporary’ art scene and stuck to folk-style painting. Only five colours have been used for the entire scroll – red, green, yellow, black and blue – all natural pigments made out of coal, turmeric, kumkum and indigo. The forms are simple yet eloquent; and the entire scroll is interspersed with simple folksy renditions and colourful painted scenes. The former scores over the latter.
The Dudhat family’s earlier work was a 1,200-metre scroll painting of the Mahabharata which is now the property of the IGNCA, New Delhi. That said;the fact that such a work comes into a gallery speaks volumes about the general perception of art. Can’t folk art be considered fine art? After all, some of the best artworks have originated from the ancient caves. Incidentally,Bhanu decided to do such works after a visit to the Ajantha and Ellora caves. This work on the Ramayana is a must-see. And while at it, consider the power of the lines, the often disproportionate forms, the simplistic and original compositions. If true art is defined as something which will speak to the viewers, then this will never stop talking. Dismiss those who wish to say otherwise.
