Shree Lal Joshi
Encyclopedia
Shree Lal Joshi is a celebrated India
n artist of phad painting
, a form of popular folk painting of Rajasthan
.
in a Joshi family, widely known as the traditional artists of phad painting for the last few centuries. His father Ramchandra Joshi initiated him into this traditional family-art at a very young age of 13. In the last six decades, he has displayed through his works his rich experience in different styles of folk paintings of Rajasthan. He has given new dimensions of identification and fame to the art of phad painting by developing contemporary style. He developed his own style. He discovered many new techniques and painted quite original and meaningful compositions. He is also renowned for his Wall paintings, besides Phad. He has received the National Award for his Wall Painting at Crafts Museum, New Delhi. He does wall painting in ancient fresco style. Elephant, Horses, Lions, and women with the pitchers on their heads are the usual motifs of his painting.
To begin with his experimentation, he has introduced and composed small sized phad paintings with new themes for this traditional art-form based on the episodes of the Devnarayan Mahagatha
, the battle of Haldighati and the jauhar (self-immolation) of Padmini, the lives of Maharana Pratap, Prithvi Raj Chouhan, Rani Hadi, Padmini, Dhola Maru, Amar Singh Rathore, Buddha, Mahavira and the narratives from the Gitagovindam, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Kumarasambhava. Tukras (Small pieces) paintings were introduced by him. Apart from the Bhopa
s, the traditional phad singer-priests, buyers of his works include the art connoissers, tourists, private and Government emporia and private art galleries. His works have been also found in the collections of various museums, which include National Museum, Indira Gandhi Nationa Art Museum, National Craft Museum and Sanskriti Museum in New Delhi, Hare Krishna Museum, Kurushetra, Bhartia Lok Kala Mandal, Udaipur, Jawahar Kala Kendra
, Jaipur,
Linden Museum, Germany, Leforet Museum, Japan, Albert Museum, London, Landes Museum, Austria, Smith Sonian Museum, Washington, Syracuse University, USA
Etenografisca Museum, Stolkholm, and also in the museums of Singapore, Germany, Netherlands and France.
His sons, Kalyan and Gopal are also notable artists of this art-form.
, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan
& Dr.Jyotindra Jain
has always been the inspiring force that urged Shree lal Joshi to experiment & innovate in the age-old art of Phad painting. Recognition came to Shree lal Joshi’s distinct style in form of many International & National awards. He received National Award, Padma Shri
award (2006) and Shilpaguru award (2007). The Government of India issued a Rs. 5/- postal stamp on his famous creation- Phad of Shri Devnarayan. Already a legend at the age of 75 years, He exudes the same passion for the art while guiding his students for 6–7 hours everyday in his workshop towards perfection in the traditional art-form.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n artist of phad painting
Phad painting
Phad painting is a popular style of folk painting, practiced in Rajasthan state of India. This style of painting is traditionally done on a long piece of cloth, known as phad. The narratives of the folk deities of Rajasthan, mostly of Pabuji and Devnarayan are depicted on the phads...
, a form of popular folk painting of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
.
Life
He was born on March 5, 1931 at Shahpura in Bhilwara districtBhilwara district
Bhilwara District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Bhilwara is the district headquarters.-Geography and demographics:...
in a Joshi family, widely known as the traditional artists of phad painting for the last few centuries. His father Ramchandra Joshi initiated him into this traditional family-art at a very young age of 13. In the last six decades, he has displayed through his works his rich experience in different styles of folk paintings of Rajasthan. He has given new dimensions of identification and fame to the art of phad painting by developing contemporary style. He developed his own style. He discovered many new techniques and painted quite original and meaningful compositions. He is also renowned for his Wall paintings, besides Phad. He has received the National Award for his Wall Painting at Crafts Museum, New Delhi. He does wall painting in ancient fresco style. Elephant, Horses, Lions, and women with the pitchers on their heads are the usual motifs of his painting.
To begin with his experimentation, he has introduced and composed small sized phad paintings with new themes for this traditional art-form based on the episodes of the Devnarayan Mahagatha
Devnarayan
Shri Devnarayan , an ancient Gurjar warrior from Rajasthan who is believed to have been an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is worshipped as a folk deity, mostly in Rajasthan and north-western Madhya Pradesh.According to tradition, he was born to Sri Savai Bhoj and Sadu mata Gurjari on the seventh day...
, the battle of Haldighati and the jauhar (self-immolation) of Padmini, the lives of Maharana Pratap, Prithvi Raj Chouhan, Rani Hadi, Padmini, Dhola Maru, Amar Singh Rathore, Buddha, Mahavira and the narratives from the Gitagovindam, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Kumarasambhava. Tukras (Small pieces) paintings were introduced by him. Apart from the Bhopa
Bhopa
The Bhopas are the priest singers of the folk deities in Rajasthan state of India. They perform in front of a scroll, known as phad or par in Rajasthani that depicts the episodes of the narrative of the folk deity and functions as a portable temple...
s, the traditional phad singer-priests, buyers of his works include the art connoissers, tourists, private and Government emporia and private art galleries. His works have been also found in the collections of various museums, which include National Museum, Indira Gandhi Nationa Art Museum, National Craft Museum and Sanskriti Museum in New Delhi, Hare Krishna Museum, Kurushetra, Bhartia Lok Kala Mandal, Udaipur, Jawahar Kala Kendra
Jawahar Kala Kendra
Jawahar Kala Kendra is a multi arts centre located in Jaipur in India. It was built by Rajasthan government with the purpose of preserving Rajasthani arts and crafts....
, Jaipur,
Linden Museum, Germany, Leforet Museum, Japan, Albert Museum, London, Landes Museum, Austria, Smith Sonian Museum, Washington, Syracuse University, USA
Etenografisca Museum, Stolkholm, and also in the museums of Singapore, Germany, Netherlands and France.
His sons, Kalyan and Gopal are also notable artists of this art-form.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions of his works have been held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Vadodara, Ahemedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal and Indore in India. Exhibitions of his creations were also held in Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. in the United States and other countries like Germany, Russia, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Pakistan, Austria and Singapore.Awards and honors
A long association with Komal KothariKomal Kothari
Komal Kothari , commonly known as Komalda, was an Indian folklorist and ethnomusicologist from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A pioneer in the study of Indian folkore, he is most known for his work on the folklore of Rajasthan and its links to Music of Rajasthan and its instruments...
, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan
Kapila Vatsyayan
Kapila Vatsyayan is a leading Indian scholar of classical Indian dance and Indian art and architecture.Vatsyayan received her M.A. from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. from the Banaras Hindu University. She is the author of many books including The Square and the Circle of Indian Arts,...
& Dr.Jyotindra Jain
Jyotindra Jain
Jyotindra Jain is an Indian art and cultural historian, and museologist. A scholar on folk and ritual arts of India, he was the Director of the National Crafts Museum, New Delhi, Member Secretary and Professor , at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts , New Delhi, and also Professor at the...
has always been the inspiring force that urged Shree lal Joshi to experiment & innovate in the age-old art of Phad painting. Recognition came to Shree lal Joshi’s distinct style in form of many International & National awards. He received National Award, Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
award (2006) and Shilpaguru award (2007). The Government of India issued a Rs. 5/- postal stamp on his famous creation- Phad of Shri Devnarayan. Already a legend at the age of 75 years, He exudes the same passion for the art while guiding his students for 6–7 hours everyday in his workshop towards perfection in the traditional art-form.
International Awards
- SAARC International Award, Islamabad
- Black Magician Award, German Festival, Stuttgart
National Awards
- National Merit Award, New Delhi, 1969,72,74
- National Award, 1984
- Silver Award, Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal,1979
- Kala Shree Award, Haryana Government,1989
- Bhuwalka Public Welfare Award, Marudhara Institute, Calcutta, 1994
- Padma ShriPadma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
Award, New Delhi, 2006 - Sangeet Shyamla Award, Kolkata, 2007
- Shilpaguru Award, 2007
Documentaries on his works
- “The Folklore” by Mani Kaul
- “Phad Painting & Shri Lal Joshi” by Lalit Kala Academy
- “Painted Epics of Rajathan” by Door Darshan
- ”Twenty four Bagrwat Bros. & Lord Dev narayan” by J.C. Miller
- “Phad Paintings of Rajasthan” by BBC.
See also
- Devnarayan Ki PhadDevnarayan Ki PhadDevnarayan Ki Par or Devnarayan Ki Phad are cloth paintings which depict the legend of Devnarayan, a medieval hero venerated as a folk-deity. Traditionally, they are used to accompany a ritual in which the heroic deeds of Devnarayan are sung or recited by priests...
- Pabuji Ki PhadPabuji Ki PhadPabuji Ki Phad is a religious scroll painting of folk deities, which is used for a musical rendition of the only surviving ancient traditional folk art form in the world of the epic of Pabuji, the Rathod Rajput chief....