Women, Gender and Labour in the Artistic Practices of Patachitra (Scroll-Painting)
Patachitra (scroll-painting) is a long-standing artistic tradition in the eastern Indian region where painting and singing come together in the community performances of the patuas or Chitrakars (scroll-painters). Drawing from my recently published book, The Poet’s Song: ‘Folk’ and its Cultural Politics in South Asia, this paper looks at the entangled issues of gender, labour and livelihood among the women artists. It focusses on the lives and work of two women—one a traditional patua and the other a kobiyaal (folk singer)—and how they have negotiated and challenged community expectations of gender roles. The research is based on fieldwork and interviews with these women in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Dr. Priyanka Basu is a Lecturer in Performing Arts at the Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College London. She is the author of The Poet’s Song: ‘Folk’ and its Cultural Politics in South Asia (Routledge, 2024), which was shortlisted for and received special mention for the David Bradby Monograph Award (Theatre and Performance Research Association UK). Her research interests include cultural histories of theatre and performance, intermedialities of print and performance, and dance studies.