Bal Gopal Krishna Print

Pankaj Kumar, an artist who hails from the rural areas of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, shares, "Work on these 'Usta miniatures' is done by multiple specialized artists. There are 3-4 different artists allocated for working with the marble dust, on the background, on facial expressions, detailing and on mixing & shading of colours too." The artist also stated how years of hard work and practice is what leads the artists to think alike and work on these unique and special pieces of art collectively. What saddens Pankaj Kumar along with other Usta painters is that even after dedicating all their lives and continuing with this sacred family tradition which their elders have had been doing for years, it is slowly languishing and fading. He says, "The scope of this art has gotten very narrow and it never got any big or major platform where it could be showcased. It is diminishing and doesn't fetch us enough to sustain our families. He adds, "We are trying to push it and make things work as much as possible and we will continue till our last breath." Increasing modernization and decreasing interest in traditions and culture, according to Pankaj, are the reasons for reduced demand of such paintings. He continues, "There are very few spots in the country where people still prefer traditional work and art. People today want contemporary, designer furniture and paintings for their homes. Our culture has become such where the significance of old, vintage things is decreasing." -ndtv goodtimes