The
painting tradition founded by Harish
Johari is a combination of
- The overall spiritual indian art traditions.
- The special wash painting technique which Harish
Johari learned from his teacher Shri
Chandra Bal, who himself learned it from Shri Bhawani Prasad
Mittal, who learned it at Shanti Niketan.
- The style of the figures that is a mixture of three
existing forms of indian art : the faces, hands and feet are based
on the paintings of the Ajanta caves - the proportions used in
the figures are based on the sculptures of the Elephanta caves
near Bombay - the postures and movements are inspired by the sculptures
of the Ellora caves and the Khajoraho temple.
With this unique combination, Harish Johari has created
artwork that has astonished many art specialists, both from the
West and the East. He has also inspired many artists to become his
students.
Most of all, this unique art form is particularly
well suited to realize the objectives of indian spiritual art. The
special washing technique allows to let the light in the paintings
to come from within the figures, instead of being used only to create
depth. The delicate, graceful and expressive faces, postures and
movements are a feast to the eye. The result is the creation of
spiritual feelings in any watcher, while for those that use the
paintings as objects of meditation, spiritual contact with the painted
divine beings becames a workable objective.
More
details can be found in the following texts :
The
origins of the style of the figures used in the Harish Johari
wash painting tradition
Detailed
description of the wash painting technique
The
importance of Krishna's birthday in the Johari family painting
tradition
Harish
Johari's art teachers
The
use of color and light
The
subjects of spiritual indian art
Art
Meets Spirituality
Comparision
between eastern and western art
Meditation
on paintings
Also read the article "A
Flood of Artist" in Hinduism Today.
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