mithilangan

I was born and brought up in mithila.Culturally one of the most vibrant part of north-east bihar. This ancient land of sita and janak has kept its rich cultural traditions alive and vibrant amidst general degradation of economic life and fast changing social canvas.I like any other maithil daughter of my age stepped into the realm of mithila painting(also known as madhubani painting)without any serious effort under the watchful eyes of my mother, grandmother and other elderly ladies of my village and started drawing 'aripana' and decorating 'kohbar' My rich cultural traditions are dear to me and very much a part of myself . I decided to broden my horizon. my rendezvous with modern art made my task easier . Here i found the limitations of folk art dissolving. The selective and precise infusion of modern art have helped me express myself. But i have kept the essence of folk art -thin line, artistic decorations and bright colours and have tried to blend them with whatever i found essential for my thought to break free and flow smoothly. Ashok jha