Hema Devi is from Salenpur in the Madhubani district, Bihar. There are several state award winners and national award winners in her village. Hema is a state award winner herself; her papier mache image of goddess Lekshmi bringing her fame and fortune.
“I come from a family of Madhubani artistes and am married into one. Both my mother, Leela Devi, and my mother-in-law, Subhadhra Devi, are national award winners,” she says with pride in her voice.
Hema learnt the art of Madhubani painting from her mother. “The art of Madhubani painting is an heirloom that is passed down from generation to generation. I must have been 10 when I first started trying my hand at Madhubani painting.”
The 35-year-old recalls starting off by translating tales from the Ramayana and the Mahabarat on paper and then gradually graduating to cloth. Natural colours are used to give life to the paintings. The dyes are gathered from flowers, leaves and barks of trees from around the village.
The artiste moved to doing Madhubani paintings on papier mache after her marriage. “My mother-in-law practised the art and taught me the techniques behind turning paper into works of art.”
As other villagers are also practising the craft, Hema says, she tries to keep herself one step ahead by looking beyond Indian Gods and Goddesses and scenes from the two Indian epics. “I enjoy shopping, especially saris. The patterns on the saris often give me inspiration. I have also come up with paper bins, pen stands, wall hangings and curios from papier mache. Customers seem to want curios for their showcases and wall hangings.”
Their goods, she says, are sold to a middle man, who in turn sells it to the market. Prices are based on the amount of work behind the piece and they do earn a profit, she says. It’s mostly women who pick up the paint brush in the village. “My husband, Jitender Kumar, helps out when I am not at home. So, do my children, Kumari Sakshi and Sachin, during school holidays and when I am flooded with orders. Although the art is hereditary, there is no compulsion that they pursue this tradition. We live as a joint family so as long as someone in the family picks up the brush, its fine, the art will live on.”
Winning the state award in 2008, she says, paved a new path for her. Apart from practising the craft, she also teaches students the techniques of papier mache and Madhubani. “Spic Macay organises workshops as part of their initiative teachings in various states, in which I participate. In fact, a Spic Macay workshop is what brought me to the city. I am teaching students of College of Architecture the art. Teaching students Madhubani is gratifying as the art is passed on to more youngsters, our future,” she smiles as she enters her class.
