The Eighth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Revolution, or stories told by visiting travellers including the recounted plots from Hollywood films Jurassic Park (1993) or Titanic (1997). This mobility and adaptability has enabled the form to exist and expand, where the scroll works by other communities have not flourished in a contemporary environment. 8 They paint on mill-made paper, but continue to create their own vegetable colours derived from natural sources. As they create works for a contemporary museum context, it has become less common for them to be accompanied by a performative element. Kalam Patua was born into this community, but taught himself the Kalighat style of watercolour painting, which draws on conventions taken from the scroll paintings and miniature painting, but focuses on single scenes rather than framed narratives, often with a satirical, autobiographical or social dimension. There are few artists painting in the Kalighat mode today, and Patua’s style is unique. Kalyan Joshi and Satyanarayan Suthar come from Rajasthan and both practise within inherited, communal traditions of paintings that are accompanied by performance. Joshi’s works illustrate tales from epic scriptures on unstretched canvas, while Suthar belongs to a small group of artists sharing the same caste name (carpenter) who create travelling shrines of unfolding panels painted with stories. 9 Another group of artists from the Rajwar community of the remote area of Surguja in the state of Chhattisgarh present a set of figurative sculptural and architectural clay works. Sonabai’s son Daroga Ram and three other artists exhibit a range of sculptural works to represent how this unique art form has continued to grow, diversify and inspire. In 1999 (when Sonabai was visiting Brisbane for APT3) the Australia India Council, with the assistance of curator Jyotindra Jain, initiated an exchange between indigenous artists from both Australia and India at the National Crafts Museum in New Delhi. Participants included Djambawa Marawili, who undertook a residency at the Artist Kalyan Joshi working on a Phad painting / Image courtesy: The artist The storyteller Narsinh performing a Kaavad recitation for his patron in a village near Jodhpur, Rajasthan / Image courtesy: Nina Sabnani Sonia Chitrakar paints / Photograph: Carol Mitchell / ©The photographer