Warli artist Padmashree Jivya Soma Mashe dies

His paintings brought alive glimpses of tribal vision of nature

Great loss: Family and friends mourn the death of artist Jivya Soma Mashe, who put Warli art on the global platform, at his funeral in Dahanu on Tuesday. .

Palghar: Noted artist Jivya Soma Mashe, who popularised the Warli tribal art form, died here after a prolonged illness, an official said on Tuesday. He was 84.

Mashe died at his home in Dahanu taluka late last night, according to an official in the Palghar district administration.

He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2011 for his contribution towards Warli painting. He had got the National Award for the Tribal Art in 1976. He is survived by two sons, also Warli artists, and a daughter.

He was accorded a state funeral.Mashe was known for his creative reinvention of an art form that was disappearing.

He significantly contributed to the culture and development of the Warlis, a tribe living predominantly in the mountainous and coastal areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat. His paintings brought alive glimpses of the tribal vision of nature and culture in equilibrium, and for highlighting the contemporary relevance of local forms of knowledge.

Through his works, the Warli art form emerged from its cocooned world to draw global fame and attention.

Mashe received international recognition for his work and participated in several exhibitions and festivals across the world.