Deevara Chittara Art & Culture Preservation Project
Chittara is a lesser known folk art practiced by several communities in Malenadu region of Karnataka state. It is a painting done on the walls of houses for special occasions such as weddings and festivals. The Deevaru, an agrarian community of nature worshippers, are highly regarded for their refined chittara. The lines and patterns of these paintings symbolize aspects of nature and depict the community’s life and lifestyle. The art form embodies the community’s socio-cultural ethos. It is a living tradition that deserves to be preserved.
The Deevara Chittara book is a critical visual documentation of this artform addressing the dearth of resources, and is the first and only book of its kind today.
The book is the first step in this direction and is expected to initiate conversations around the art form, artists, economic viability, sustainability and more. The project further aims to popularise Chittara through the compilation of audio-video resources around the artform and engage both with the artists and the public through outreach initiatives.
From our Founder
The Deevara Chittara Project is the first-of-its-kind initiative to extensively document and archive Chittara. It stands as a milestone for future generations, preserving a legacy that beautifully blends art, tradition, and sustainability. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, it is more important to recognize and learn from the Deevaru community’s eco-conscious practices and their commitment to sustainable, handmade crafts. Promoting and incentivizing the use of natural materials is not only vital for environmental well-being but also essential for the greater good of humanity.
- Geetha Bhat
Founder, CFRIA
Team Behind the Book
Geetha Bhat
Co-Author
Geetha Bhat, the founder of Centre for Revival of Indigenous Arts, is a multifaceted artist, educator, and cultural ambassador with a diverse background in traditional arts, including Origami, Ikebana, and Chittara folk art. She has been promoting numerous Indian and international artists, over the past 40 years.
Smitha Tumuluru
Co-Author & Photographer
Smitha is a documentary photographer and writer exploring rural livelihoods, gender, art, and culture through research-based visual storytelling. Since 2017, she has documented Tamil Nadu’s Irular tribe for PARI and won the 2024 Feature of the Year at the Rainbow Lit Fest – Queer & Inclusive. A Women in Photography–India featured artist, her work has been exhibited internationally.
Namrata Cavale
Publication Designer & Illustrator
Namrata is a multi-disciplinary designer with a passion for indigenous arts, crafts and textiles. She works with NGOs and social enterprises on building their products and aesthetics, through a systemic approach which fosters sustainability. She has worked across textile craft, skill development, upcycling and special-needs spaces.
Center for Revival of Indigenous Art (CFRIA)
Center for Revival of Indigenous Art (CFRIA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and revival of Chittara. Over the past 20 years, CFRIA has showcased Chittara through events, lec-dems, workshops at various educational, cultural institutions, and exhibitions. Chittara murals executed by CFRIA can be witnessed at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) Indian Music Experience (IME) Bosch, Taneira, Science Gallery Bengaluru showrooms to name a few. With hardly any documentation publicly available, CFRIA embarked on a journey to document and archive Chittara and the cultural practices around the artform, culminating in this beautifully crafted book.
