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India has always been a melting pot of cultures, right from its cuisine, language and customs to the different unique and creative artforms spread across the country. Every state has its own style of art and each artform is like a lesson in tradition, culture, and lifestyle of the people. Over time, these art forms have crossed borders, gaining an appreciation from global audiences for their fine detailing, symbolism, and exceptional storytelling. Lets quickly take you through 6 Indian artforms that are making waves globally!
Originating from the rural regions of Maharashtra, Warli art is known for its simple yet symbolic visual language. Using basic shapes like circles, triangles, and squares, artists depict stories of daily life—farming, festivals, dances, weddings, and more. Traditionally, these monochrome paintings were created on the mud walls of tribal huts, using a white paste made from rice flour and painted with bamboo or wooden sticks. The true beauty of Warli lies in its minimalism, proving that simplicity can tell powerful stories.
Excited to learn Warli art? Our Artventures book on Warli is the perfect way to begin your creative journey.
Madhubani painting, also known as Mithila art, hails from Bihar and is one of the most recognizable Indian folk art forms internationally. These vibrant artworks are famous for their geometric patterns, intricate detailing, and bold use of color. Traditionally these paintings were created using natural dyes and tools like twigs and matchsticks instead of brushes. It included depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses, nature scenes, weddings, festivals and more on walls or floors of houses. Over the years Madhubani art has moved from walls of houses to canvases, textile and surfaces of different decor and fashion pieces.
Are you curious to know more about this Indian art? Sign up for our Madhubani Art Course, which is conducted by Padma Shri artist Dulari Devi and start your journey of art today.
As the name suggests, miniature paintings are small, colorful works of art renowned for their exquisite brushwork and intricate detail. The most common themes in this artform from Rajasthan include the Ragas, or a pattern of musical notes, and religious and mythological stories. Artists used natural colors derived from plants, minerals, indigo, precious stones, gold, and silver to add life to the sketches. Once reserved for the royal courts, today these miniatures find homes in elite collections and museums around the world. They are in fact quite a favourite amongst collectors.
Want to learn more about this art, check out the Miniature art courses on Rooftop.
The word ‘Gond’ comes from the Dravidian expression ‘Kond’, which means ‘Green Mountain’. Gond Art Painting comes from the heart of Madhya Pradesh, where dots and lines form dancing trees, sacred animals, and tales of the forest. The local sand called ‘Chui Mitti’ is used to produce the yellow colour, while ‘Gheru Mitti’ serves as the brown colour. Charcoal provides the black colour, Hibiscus flower gives red, and plant leaves impart green colour. According to Gond art, everything in nature is sacred and possesses a special energy. It's probably this beautiful symbolism and stunning colours that make Gond art so intriguing to an international audience.
With Rooftop you can learn everything you need to know about Gond art with ur Artventures of Gond, a 3 part art book where you can learn how to master the art with step-by-step instructions by master artist Venkat Singh Shyaam.
Phad paintings from Rajasthan are a fascinating form of narrative art, created on large horizontal scrolls up to 30 feet long. The scrolls were displayed in front of a large audience, with a storyteller narrating the artwork. Phad art often depicts stories of local folk deities like Pabuji and Devnarayan. Colours were extracted from natural elements like vegetables, plants, and minerals. This art form gives a strong message of bravery and devotion and has captivated a global audience with their mesmerising tales and narratives.
At Rooftop we have one of the most foolproof ways for you to learn Phad art - our online Phad art course by Master artist Kalyan Joshi.
Kalighat paintings first evolved during the 19th Century from Kolkata, West Bengal. At first, these paintings reflected beautiful sketches of gods and goddesses. Eventually they got famous for illustrating and highlighting social issues in an artsy, vibrant way. Making Kalighat paintings was often a group activity, where one artist would grind pigments to make natural dyes, another would outline the illustration, and it would be passed to others for completion. When art helps build a sense of community, its popularity is bound to grow behind the confinedness of the place it originates, Kalighat art is no different.
Are you eager to learn more about it? Join our Kalighat course, which is designed for beginners and art lovers who love to explore their creativity.
The beauty of Indian art forms lies in their deep rooted connection to nature, Indian culture, mythology and plethora of colours. The fact that each artform of India is unique and different from another, makes it even more appealing to global audiences. From accomplished art collectors , more people from across the globe are turning towards the traditional art of India. These art forms have been showcased in international art galleries and exhibitions, graced high fashion ramps and made it to the homes of people in different corners of the world - Indian arts are really thriving!
We think the global journey of these beautiful Indian artforms has only just begun and has a long way to go! At Rooftop we are doing our best to give the artists and artforms the recognition, love and praise they truly deserve. Join us by exploring our range of Artventure books, paintings and master artist-led courses to discover and fall in love with the world of Indian art!