PEAKLIFE

Who said paintings are best understood by art connoisseurs? As you scroll through the various collections from The Bimba, you’ll find an artwork that speaks to your soul. Just select the one and their artisans will carry forward the skill and legacy with each piece, hoping to secure a special spot in your heart and home!

The appropriate shade

Believing that every piece of art is a reflection of the artist’s mind, The Bimba is a platform which intends to make classical and fine arts widely accessible by bridging the gap between the Artist and the end buyers. As the buyer-artist interaction/connection is limited mostly to art fairs, art galleries and art exhibitions, Bimba sets out with the purpose of making fine art accessible easily. Exquisite art is usually considered to be confined to the realms of the affluent, but the platform feels that everyone deserves to experience the therapeutic effect of an exquisite artwork that resonates with them. They curate art from India and across the world, and develop high-quality, museum-grade framed Fine Art (Giclee) prints in multiple sizes to suit the requirements of all. From the folk art of Pattachitra & Pichwai to high-quality Fine Art prints of Van Gogh & Edvard Munch, their collections are curated with a lot of love, passion, and care. Indeed, artistic expression has no bounds at Bimba.

Riya Soni, Founder, Bimba

Pichwai

Originated in Rajasthan’s Nathdwara temple, almost 400 years ago, Pichwai art is a force to reckon with. The word ‘Pichwai’ comes from ‘pich’ (back) and ‘wai’ (textile wall hanging) and addresses the tradition of hanging Pichwai artworks depicting Srinathji, behind the deity. Today, these paintings are no longer restricted to the temple and adorn the walls of homes and offices due to their bright hues and auspicious motifs. The traditionally ornate Pichwais can now be easily found on cushion covers, carpets, etc. However, this doesn’t diminish the beauty of Pichwai art in the least.

· Shrinath Ji Darbar Darshan

In 1672, the deity of Srinathji—Lord Krishna’s avatar as a 7-year-old, was being transported from Mathura via Agra. The bullock cart’s wheel got stuck in the mud and this was seen as a divine intervention to build a temple here. Thus, the Nathdwara temple was built and gargantuan artworks were hung behind this deity, representing Srinathji’s life as a young child. Pichwai paintings narrate the tale of Krishna lifting the Govardhan Parbat on his little finger to protect the villagers from a torrential downpour. Thus, a genre of Pichwai artworks known as Annakut Pichwai shows Srinathji with his left hand raised. This story is an important part of the history of Pichwai.

· Accent Pichwais

If you look closely at a Pichwai portrait, you’ll notice that Srinathji is always decked with a lot of ornaments. However, one of the lesser known Pichwai facts is that in Vrindavan, Srinathji’s idol had a diamond studded chin. In fact, Aurangzeb is believed to have attacked Mathura solely to acquire this gem. Therefore, a Pichwai portrait will always depict a heavily ornamented Srinathji with opulent necklaces, nose rings and finger rings. The history of Pichwai is so sacred that artisans spend hours on getting each ornament and pleat of his attire just right. A lot of Pichwai art is also embossed with gold details to add opulence to Srinathji’s image.

· Gold Pichwai

Cows are an integral part of Lord Krishna’s life and Pichwai paintings, alike since he was a gwala (cowherder). The festival of Gopashtami celebrates his promotion from a herder of younger calves to fully grown cows. Another set of Pichwais depict Sandhya aarti where Yashoda and the gopis wait for Balram and Krishna to come back home after herding cows all day.

· Worship of Shrinath Ji

A unique blend of Pichwai and Classical Indian Art, this painting is the ultimate celebration of Lord Krishna with heaven and earth, man and nature, all in attendance.

Madhubani

Bright colours, auspicious motifs, slender characters with exaggerated features—Madhubani paintings are in great demand worldwide. Also known as Mithila painting, these artworks are characterized by their vivacious hues and lack of empty spaces. Whether you want to decorate your office space, living room or even your bedroom, this art form has fast emerged as the most popular way of sprucing up bland walls.

· Madhubhani Tree of Life

The tree of life is a fundamental widespread mytheme or archetype in many of the world’s mythologies, religious and philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree. All of nature exists in harmony, exemplified by the Tree of Life. Flowers bloom on its generous branches and colorful birds find shelter there.

· Patttachitra The Legends of Ramayana

The epic narrates the life of Rama, the legendary prince of Kosala Kingdom, his banishment from the kingdom by his father, King Dasharatha, his travels across forests in India with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, the kidnap of his wife by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, resulting in a war with him, and Rama’s eventual return to Ayodhya to be crowned king. The Ramayana is one of the largest ancient epics in world literature. It consists of nearly 24,000 verses (mostly set in the śloka meter), divided into seven Kāṇḍas (books) and about 500 sargas (chapters). In Hindu tradition, it is considered to be the ādi-kāvya (first kāvya poem). It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king. The Ramayanawas an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Hindu life and culture. Like the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is not just a story: it presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages in narrative allegory, interspersing philosophical and ethical elements. The characters Rāma, Sītā, Laksmana, Bharata, Hanumān and Rāvaṇa are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and south-east Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

All Image credits: www.thebimba.com