Twenty-second International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Mithila painting has flourished in the northeastern state of Bihar in India for centuries. On the one hand, it has remained impervious to external influences, on the other climactic and economic earthquakes have revolutionized it. Today the art of Mithila is venturing into different directions reflecting personal, political, and social issues. Based on in-depth field study of Mithila art in the summers of 2022 and 2023, I discuss the reimagining of aripan (ephemeral floor patterns drawn in threshold spaces) and kohbar (images painted for nuptial chambers), the two most distinctive themes of Mithila painting, as well as works depicting feminist themes that demonstrate the evolution of this ancient art form. Two natural disasters in Bihar, the 1934 earthquake and the 1966 drought, brought Mithila paintings to the notice of the outside world. They are now exhibited in Europe, Russia, US, and Japan. Several Mithila painters have received the Padmashri, India’s highest award for art. Men have also started making an entry as artists in this area, which was for years an exclusive domain of women.