The Lost Labour of Folk Artists

Folk Art forms an important element of the cultural landscape of Maharashtra. The Folk Artists have spread this legacy through generations and have preserved the Art in its natural and true form. At times it is observed that in some Artist households, not just 2 or 3 but 5 generations have been striving to conserve their Folk Art. But these artists are in financial distress as Folk Art does not find space in the mainstream art or cinema as such and hence goes largely neglected and so do these artists. Through my photography since 2004, I have made a genuine attempt to acknowledge this art and the contributions of these artists and to get them noticed by the world and our Government so that constructive steps could be initiated towards their welfare. Hence I am doing a Ph.D. on these artists titled “Photo biography of 10 Folk Artists” which I have begun in 2014 with a mission to help these artists upraise themselves.