Recently, I had the chance to meet an national award winning Madhubani (Mithila) artist and was fortunate enough to take a look at his workshop over a video call. I do intend to visit him, probably in my next trip to India. Thought of writing about him to highlight the capabilities of artists from India and help everyone appreciate the art form.

About Madhubani (Mithila) Art: Madhubani painting is one of the many famous Indian art forms. As it is practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal, it is called Mithila or Madhubani art. Often characterized by complex geometrical patterns, these paintings are known for representing ritual content for particular occasions, including festivals, religious rituals, etc. The colors used in Madhubani paintings are usually derived from plants and other natural sources. These colors are often bright and pigments like lampblack are used to create black and brown respectively. Instead of contemporary brushes, objects like twigs, matchsticks and even fingers are used to create the paintings.

Madhubani paintings originated in the Mithila region of Bihar. Some of the initial references to the Madhubani painting can be found in the Hindu epic Ramayana when King Janaka, Sita’s father, asks his painters to create Madhubani paintings for his daughter’s wedding. The knowledge was passed down from generation to generation and the paintings began to adorn the houses of the region. The women of the village practiced these paintings on the walls of their respective home. Their paintings often illustrated their thoughts, hopes and dreams. This art form has been taken to international stage and now is recognized in many countries.

About Remant Kr. Mishra: Remant was born in 1983 a village near Madhubani in an artist town within the family of traditional Madhubani artists. He is the 4th generation artist in his family. The skill and technique has been passed down to him through the family tree. Remant showed exceptional grasp of this artform in his early childhood days. He was conferred with a scholarship by Government of India when he was 12 years old. He has been a disciple of Padmashri Sita Devi (Leading artist in Madhubani paintings). Since then, Remant has taken this art form to various places, exhibitions, workshops nationally and internationally. List of awards conferred to him runs into pages and his contributions and excellence has been noted in various platforms across the globe.

Remant has been participating and conducting workshops for educating kinds and adults about this art form. Recently in 2018, he had conducted a 1-week workshop for 2,000 children from  6 schools had participated. He has always been willing to expand and propagate his knowledge to others to ensure future generations learn to make and appreciate this folk art.

His notable artworks are placed in Central Bank’s Officer Training College in Bhopal and Kolkata. He has also painted a 60ft * 30ft paintings placed in Govt. Guest House Madhubani. Recently, Power grid corporation has bought couple of paintings from him for their corporate and field offices.

Brief about his works is present in the following video.

What I liked the most about Remant is his commitment and dedication to his art form. In spite of being recognized internationally, he comes across as a simple uncomplicated person with hardly any entitlement. Remant has also been working with government to produce Madhubani face masks. It is an attempt from artist community to help Govt. Of India to fight CoVID19. The following video encapsulates his efforts on face masks.

I bought one painting from him for my own personal collection. Please do let me know in case you are interested to explore buying artwork from him for your office or home. I shall pass you his contact number for you to connect.

Nihit M