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Song of the Chittara
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Radha Sullur brings to the urban space a fine art form from the Western Ghats
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TIMELESS ART Radha Sullur: `We just lose track of time when we are painting chittara because we sing as we do it' Photo: Murali Kuamr K.
When Radha Sullur shows me the tiny leaf fibres that she paints her murals with, I'm amazed. How long does it take to paint a wall with this pundi naaru, I ask her. The shy girl smiles. "Maybe 10 days, maybe less. But we just lose track of time when we are painting chittara because we sing as we do it," says Radha who has trained under Eshwar Naik, master-craftsperson and National Award winner.
Chittaras are intricate wall paintings traditionally done by the tribal women of Malnad in Karnataka in their red, mud-plastered houses. Chittara art has an elaborate artistic and cultural tradition, but almost turned extinct until ethnic became chic. Art-loving urbanites had the walls of their homes and resorts decorated with chittara. Chittaras got framed. And then they got on to greeting cards, storage boxes and files.
Radha takes off her huge knapsack. From inside it come greeting cards, files, calendars and canvases. "I've started making commercial use of the art," confesses the young lady. "But my grandmother and mother used to make chittara in marriage halls and temples during festivals for free. They used to sing while they painted. Songs are a part of the art form. We sing when we roast rice till it is black, we sing when we grind the charred rice to get black powder, and we sing when we use the colours to draw. You know, when we sing the beesopada, it means we are respecting the grinding stone. As a child in Sullur in Sagara taluka, I didn't care for the art much. But when I was in high school a teacher recognised my artistic talent and encouraged me to take up art," says the girl, who has come to Bangalore to make chittaras.
Natural art
Art is inextricably linked to the fertile surroundings of the Western Ghats's rainforests. The paintings, which use rice powder and fruit from the gurige tree, are made on walls plastered with red earth or on surfaces smeared with cow dung. The paintings depict the wildlife, history, folklore, music and tribal life of this region. "Now, I love the art so much that I feel angry when people change it. Why not use the traditional motifs, I ask them. Each of these symbols has a story or represents a certain way of life of Malnad. A properly made chittara painting brings to mind the areca nut trees of the region and the rituals attached to farming. The chittara on baskets and pots signifies abundant crops and prosperity. When you change the symbols, it is no more chittara, it is just another decoration," says Radha.
After attending a course conducted by Eshwar Naik, Radha attended a seminar in Honnemardu where she met social activist Lakshmi Salgame. Her encouragement brought Radha to Bangalore. In the last few months, Radha has adorned several homes and resorts with chittara paintings. She also invested in a course in screen-printing. Now, she gets her paintings screen-printed on greeting cards. Each card along with its cover is priced at Rs.10, but larger the order, the more cost-effective it becomes.
Radha paints on paper, pots, walls, and other surfaces. Her fee depends upon the intricacy demanded by the client or the time it takes. She makes the colours and does the printing herself with assistance from her sister and brother-in-law. Though she did not sing for me, the greeting card she gave me makes me hum. For, in the chittara is the hidden song of a girl who wants to study more about the art form and bring out a book of songs connected to chittara art. She puts back her creations into her knapsack, and takes off in search of a house whose doorway she has been commissioned to paint. The pundi naaru, the coconut shell that is her palette, and the colours are all there in that bag. And the song? It is in her heart and on her lips.
To order greeting cards and other stationery, call Radha Sullur on 98441-92454.
MALA KUMAR
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track in pursuit of their dreams.
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