Argot

Term of the Month: The Artists’ Village

Ankan Kazi

June 01, 2024

Artists' villages and communities have a rich history around the world, serving as hubs for artistic collaboration, experimentation, and cultural exchange. In India, several notable artists' villages have emerged, each with its own unique story and contribution to the country's artistic landscape. The history of artists’ communes provokes us to ask broad questions about the genealogy of art education in India, the locations that have contributed to it and the role exchanges between artists have played in the development of modern art in India.

Artists’ villages have a long and storied influence on the development of modern art movements, schools and practices all over the world. However, keeping our lens on Indian artists’ communities, some strains may be detected in western artists’ villages that fed into common agendas that were taken up by Indian artists too. Proximity to nature was a crucial point for undertaking this exercise. Even during the high noon of academic studio practices in Europe, artists continued to seek the outdoors for inspiration—as exhorted by Romantic poets and philosophers of the time.

Villages like Raghurajpur in Odisha have been instrumental in preserving ancient art forms like Pattachitra paintings, palm leaf engraving, folk painting, and mask making.

On the other hand, artists' villages like Pochampally in Telangana have showcased regional art forms like Ikkat weaving, providing visitors with a glimpse of the intricate processes and designs unique to the region.

Villages such as Cholamandal in Chennai have been hubs for artistic experimentation and collaboration—and, in its original vision, also meant to promote and preserve regional arts and craft traditions. Cholamandal, India's largest self-supporting artist village, has been a space where artists can immerse themselves in art, learn about the history of various art forms, and engage in sculpting and other artistic endeavors. Artists' villages attract not only local artists but also visitors and tourists interested in learning about different art forms. Tourists often stay for extended periods to immerse themselves in the artistic way of life of these villages, gaining insights into the cultural and artistic traditions of the region.

Which were some of the more significant artists’ communes or villages in India?

Additionally, the village played a crucial role in promoting Indian art internationally, showcasing the diversity and creativity of Indian artists on the global stage. Besides painting and sculpting, like in Kasauli (see below), Cholamandal also became a space that encouraged interdisciplinarity and the exploration of related artforms like dance, drama, music and poetry. According to the dancer Aditi De: ‘An outdoor theatre-in-the-round saw the colony widen its horizons to embrace other arts under the ozone-tossed stellar skies. The performing space named Bharathi, after the Tamil poet, has hosted a galaxy of visitors—Balasaraswathi and Yamini Krishnamurthy doing Bharathanatyam. A. K. Ramanujam reading his poetry and Girish Karnad his plays.’

Another important artists' village is the Kasauli Art Centre, located in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Kasauli has a long history as a hub for artists, writers, and intellectuals, attracting figures such as Rudyard Kipling and Rabindranath Tagore in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The town's picturesque setting and cool climate made it a popular retreat for creative minds seeking inspiration and respite from the heat of the plains.

Andretta is a unique artists' village located in the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. It was established in the 1920s by Norah Richards, an Irish writer and dramatist who settled in Andretta, where she began promoting and encouraging various art forms. She invited artists like the painter and sculptor B.C. Sanyal, and over time it became a hub of cultural and theatrical activities.