Narrative Scrolls from West Bengal

In West Bengal, India, a traditional caste community of artists, called patuas, paint colorful scrolls to accompany songs which they sing to relate historic, current, religious and cultural events to their audiences. These itinerant painters/singers are part of a long lineage that has passed the tradition down for generations.

Teaching / Learning Goals:

Teachers and students will …

Objectives

• To learn about the process of making narrative scrolls in the patua style and how they are used over time to convey important events and transmit cultural values (historical and cultural understanding).
• To explore the imagery used in patua paintings (perceiving, analyzing and responding).
• To use your own imagery to create a narrative scroll painting (creating and performing).