Brief Introduction to Cheriyal Art (2024)

A simple village scene depicting common people engaged in their daily duties

Dashavtar in Cheriyal By Sai Kiran

Dashavatar, or the 10 principal Avatars of Vishnu also known as Narayan or Hari. One of the key Gods in Hinduism.

The local Cheriyal artists deeply understand the significance of the everyday life of the rural farmers and their families. This is reflected in the depiction of local agricultural practices such as ploughing fields with the aid of oxen and growing crops on fertile land, community gatherings, post-harvest celebrations with cooking and feasting and wedding events. This highlights the social and natural themes that Cheriyal artists often honour.The costumes and settings are reflective of Andhra's culture, where these remarkable paintings originated.

RURAL VILLAGE LIFE: CHERIYAL SCROLL PAINTING BY SAI KIRAN

The dominance of the red background, warm amber-toned bodies, and application of vibrant colours are some prime characteristics of Cheriyal art. Scrolls were culturally and socially significant at one time. Today, the artists make abridged versions of this art but the themes remain the same. Another form of Cheriyal that comes into the forefront is the Cheriyal masks. These masks are also modelled along the themes of ancient mythology, religious events and folklore.

These traditional scrolls were designed in a vertical format, presenting stories through a series of horizontal panels. A floral border in the middle separated the two panels, while the linear narrative was conveyed by either holding the scroll in both hands or suspending it from a tree building while continuously rolling it. Similar to oversized comic strips, each panel of the scroll illustrated a distinct part of the story, resulting in an average of around 50 panels per scroll. As the tale is narrated, the panel corresponding to that specific part of the story would be unveiled. Additionally, the choice of episodes and iconography of each deity was carefully crafted to align with the caste for which the scroll was intended.

Process of preparing Cheriyal Scroll paintings:

1. To prepare the Khadi cloth - A type of canvas obtained after the fabric is processed with a solution of rice starch, white clay, boiled tamarind seeds, and lac solution.
2. Once the canvas is dry and ready, the artist outlines scenes and characters using graphite. These lines are skillfully made inside the framed canvas.
3. With the use of bold, solid colours, the artists fill the characters and the motifs. They use both natural colours (extracted from stones, oil lamps, and sea shells)and commercially available colours. Bright red backgrounds are one of the defining features of the art form. Along with red, the palette features brilliant and non-glossy hues of blue, green, yellow, black and white.
4. While black is extracted from soot, red is extracted from a type of stone called Iigligum and yellow from Pevadi stones.
5. Red is the first colour that goes into the painting. After red, other colours are filled.

Artist preparing miniature Cheriyal masks

Cheriyal art is known for its eco-friendly approach. The scrolls are made using fabric and organic paste while the masks are created from natural ingredients like the dough of sawdust and tamarind paste. From an ecological perspective, such forms of art are even more important and in need of preservation in the modern world. The artworks cover numerous themes, the illustrations are detailed yet they are drawn with simplicity and in an animated style. This lends playfulness to the subject depicted in the art. Additionally, animal motifs, which include- hedgehogs, deer, gentle cows, and peaco*cks, further add to the vibrancy of the scenes.

Artist Sai Kiran in front of Cheriyal installation at the India Art, Architecture, Design Biennale, 2023.

In the past, Cheriyal scroll paintings enjoyed popularity not only in Telangana but also in various regions of Andhra Pradesh and other parts of the country with each community showcasing their distinct style and local nuances in these artworks, influenced by regional customs and traditions. However, with the advent of modern forms of entertainment such as television, cinema, and computers, Cheriyal scroll painting has found its last stronghold in the town of Cheriyal, where it continues to thrive and preserve its unique heritage. Cheriyal Paintings received a Geographical Indications (GI) tag in 2007 due to their unique traditional style. While there are only a few remaining artists who continue this traditional technique, modern innovations have led to the creation of single pictures for wall decorations

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