Goa tribal art show from Feb 26

Panaji: Goa is hosting a five-day tribal art show from Feb 26 that will throw light on the various aspects of ancient heritage, including the 30,000 year-old rock engravings of Usgalimal, officials said Sunday.

The meet will showcase the cultural aspects of 20,000-30,000 year-old Usgalimal rock engarvings in Goa, which were discovered in 1993 and about which much is still not known. Organised by the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), the exhibition will feature art from areas which have a rich tribal heritage. "Aadi Chitra (tribal painting) will cover a range of the tribes such as Gond (Madhya Pradesh), Bhil, Rathwa (Gujarat), Saura (Odisha) and Warli (Maharashtra)," according to TRIFED managing director Jiji Thomson. Over 40 artists are expected to participate in the art show, which will be inaugurated Feb 26. The TRIFED functions under the aegis of the union ministry for tribal affairs and is engaged in the development and marketing of traditional tribal products. "These themes and subjects are presented with... precision. (It showcases)... the purity and unadulterated love that tribals have for the nature. (It)... evolves into a unique style that reflects the history and culture of the respective tribes," Thomson said. "`Aadi Chitra` seeks to portray this uniqueness," Thomson added. Tribal paintings invariably depicted positive themes and subjects, ranging from religious to secular, from gods and goddesses to animals and birds, life-cycles from birth, death, marriage, farming, harvest, celebration, and the five basic elements of Earth, he said. The TRIFED aims to bring tribal paintings from the oblivion to the mainstream of art and help tribal artists in earning their livelihood. It also wants to restore, preserve and reinforce the tribal art in its forte so that the traditional farm, flow and flavour undergo least dilution. "Such exhibitions also go a long way in creating business opportunities for the tribal artists," he said. Goa, with its tourism footfalls was one of the best places to market tribal art, said TRIFED`s regional manager V. Ramanathan. "Goa is a major tourist destination. It has for long been a cosmopolitan land as well," he said. IANS