Bhopal: Chip off the old block; Bhuri Bai’s daughter mounts her first solo painting exhibition in city

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Tribal painter Shanta Bhuria, daughter of Bhil artist Padma Shri Bhuri Bai, has showcased her works at Likhandra Gallery at the Tribal Museum. This is her first solo painting exhibition in Bhopal, she says.

Shanta has displayed 26 paintings in the exhibition which began from Wednesday. They include bus travel, trees laden with fruits, owls, bullock carts, women collecting Mahua, Pithora Dev, two peacocks, two butterflies, birds eating fruits, deer, elephant and tree, camel rider etc. She has also painted on topics like Corona and Bhagoria Mela using acrylic on canvas beautifully.

Shanta from Jhabua has inherited the art from her mother Bhuri Bai. She used to collaborate with Bai in her creative work and also learned to draw. Senior artists also used to visit her home, which inspired Shanta to create shapes. She had a deep fascination for paintings since childhood.

Shanta got married at a young age and she moved from the city to her in-laws' village and stopped painting. For a long time, she did not hold the brush. Household chores and family responsibilities kept her busy. As the daily necessities of life were barely being met, both the husband and wife moved to the city at the behest of the family and decided not to return to the village again for the better future of their children, Shanta says.

Her husband Vijay did small jobs to run the household smoothly. Along with taking care of her family, Shanta started helping her mother in painting. Gradually, she started making paintings herself as well so that there could be some increase in income. And she got the full support of her husband. With time Shanta also started marking paintings on Bhil tribal stories. “My mother is my first guru,” she adds. And the influence of her mother's painting style is also visible in her works to some extent.

Since 2005, Shanta started exhibiting her paintings and participating in workshops in many cities of the country including Mumbai, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Bhopal, and Indore. As a promising painter of the Bhil community, Shanta has been painting for the last 18 years.

The exhibition under ‘Shalaka 25’ will remain open for art lovers till May 30.