Peacock with the Tree and Birds

Basanti Tahed

Basanti Tahed is a celebrated Bhil artist from Madhya Pradesh. Her work features nature, animals and village life. The vibrant colours and ornate depiction of rural life give her work a special charm. She aims to provide a larger audience for the traditional Bhil artform. She uses natural pigments extracted from plants and minerals. As canvas, she uses hand-made paper and cloth, keeping it authentic and natural in all aspects. Her work is characterised by a unique blend of reality and abstraction. Taking elements from rural life, like farm animals, wells and trees, she places them in abstract locations like a sky blue background (as seen in Gaav ka Drishya). Her work Badle Ka Ped has a distinct portrayal of the eco-system and its ‘give and take’ in the form of favors that both the tree and the birds and animals do for each other. The thoughtfulness and creativity in her work is a quality unique to Basanti Ji. There is almost always a big tree in her paintings—a different one each time. Her love for nature and the village habitat is clearly visible through her art. Basanti Ji is truly an inspiration for all artists—of India and beyond.