Jul 13 2025 to Jul 13 2025 11 a.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

The Chittara art form practised by the Deevaru Community is engaged primarily by the women folk of the community as a socio-cultural practice. Nestled in the ranges of verdant western ghats of North Canara live the Deevaru people, a matriarchal-agrarian community of nature-worshippers, residing in and around Sagara, Karnataka. Chittara art has become an integral part of their daily routines. It was never a profession, but a practice that has artistic and socio-cultural value. For women of the Deevaru community Chittara paintings are a source of great joy, beauty and creativity. For painting, women artists use eco-friendly natural resources like ground rice paste for white, charred rice for black, powdered Gurige seeds for yellow, and soil/earth for red.

In this workshop, you will learn to draw a few motifs of Chittara along with their description. You can then draw these on a small cane tray to take home to. You will also get to know how natural paints are used in this art along with the eco-friendly handicrafts they make.

What will you take home?
Knowing the socio-cultural aspects of the community
Learn a folk art form of Karnataka
Completed piece of artwork done by yourself

What do you need to bring?
Water bottle to keep you hydrated.
Kindly get a note book/notepad, a pencil, an eraser and a rag cloth.
Note: Other essential materials will be provided by the host.

Center for Revival of Indigenous Art (CFRIA), founded by Ms Geetha Bhat, is a non-profit organisation working to preserve and promote Chittara folk art, Karnataka. CFRIA has showcased events, Lec-dems, workshops at various educational, cultural institutions, and exhibitions. Chittara murals can be witnessed at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) Indian Music Experience (IME) Bosch, Taneira showrooms to name a few. CFRIA is now working on the Chittara folk art Archival book, which aims to address the dearth of resources on Chittara, essential for its preservation. This book will capture Deevaru’s lifestyle , culture, challenges and way forward, aimed at a wide range of audiences

In collaboration with:

Facilitators

Geetha Bhat
Founder, CFRIA & Co-author, Deevara Chittara
Geetha Bhat, the founder of Centre for Revival of Indigenous Arts, is a multifaceted artist, educator, and cultural ambassador with a diverse background in traditional arts, including Origami, Ikebana, and Chittara folk art. She has been promoting numerous Indian and international artists, over the past 40 years. Geetha has presented research papers at various prestigious international conferences and has exhibited chittara murals in elite institutions and public spaces. She has been involved with Indo-Japanese art and culture since the 1970s, and continues as the Program Director at Indo-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IJCCI), Karnataka. She received special honours at the Attendance Annual Awards 2024, for her long-standing work promoting crafts and chittara.

Shruthi Belli
Chittara artist