Tree Matters

The Bhil people of Central India are amongst the oldest indigenous communities in India. To them, the natural world-of trees, creatures that inhabit them, and the forest of which they are a part-is not 'out there', but rather exists in a seamless relationship to their home and the everyday. Gangu Bai, Bhil artist, explores this relationship through her memories and paintings of food, work, festivals, illness, medicine and much else. Her tales centre round trees, and so each of her memories has a tree as its focus. Illustrated in vivid and cheerful colours, the paintings in this book foreground a universe of brightly coloured dots, lines and shapes that encompasses and holds in all living creatures, including human beings. Gangu Bai belongs to an indigenous community called Bhil, whose members live in villages across western and central India. Her rich repertoire of stories is steeped in the community's lore. The awardwinning artist has been painting for over two decades, and her work has been exhibited both in India as well as abroad. Gangu works with the National Museum of Mankind in Bhopal.