Village Life : The Bullock Cart Journey

Kamta Tahed

Kamta Tahed, born in Balwaun village (Jhabua, MP), grew her artistic voice under the influence of her in-laws—legendary Bhil artist Lado Bai. Though domestic responsibilities often limited her early output, Kamta naturally gravitated toward paint, experimenting on her own. Over time, she transitioned from gray tribal sketches to vibrant, symbolic compositions that blend forest scenes, wedding motifs, and imaginative icons. Her raw and evocative style, grounded in tribal aesthetics but free in expression, earned her spotlight at the Tribal Museum’s Likhandara Gallery with her “Shalaka 10” series. Kamta Tahed’s journey as an artist is as organic and unassuming as the forests she so often paints. Born in Balwaun village in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, Kamta was surrounded by the sounds, sights, and rituals of Bhil culture. Her artistic instincts were nurtured not in classrooms or studios, but in her household, where she found inspiration from her mother in-law, one of India’s most celebrated Bhil artists Lado Bai. Her work carried the weight of tradition and cultural memory, and Kamta absorbed these influences almost instinctively. Like many women in her community, Kamta’s early years were largely shaped by domestic responsibilities. Time to paint was scarce, yet the pull of creativity was undeniable. With a quiet determination, she began to sketch and experiment on her own, often drawing from her immediate environment, forest scenes, community rituals, wedding motifs, and mythic symbols. These experiments gradually took shape, evolving from tentative strokes into powerful compositions. Her artistic language transformed over time, shifting from muted tribal sketches in shades of grey to bold, colorful, and highly symbolic paintings. What sets Kamta apart is her ability to blend the recognizable Bhil aesthetic of dots and patterns with a more fluid expressiveness. Her Bhil art paintings are not just depictions of daily life but living tapestries of memory, ritual, and imagination, bridging personal experience with collective heritage.