Celebrate The Diwali Festival At City Gallery

11 October 2005

Celebrate The Diwali Festival At City Gallery Wellington

City Gallery Wellington is proud to announce that Indian painter Shanti Devi will undertake a wall painting in the Michael Hirschfeld Gallery as part of Wellington's Diwali Festival of Lights celebrations.

Devi will work on the long wall of the Michael Hirschfeld Gallery, covering it with a Madhubani painting. Madhubani painting comes from the Madhubani district in the northern Indian state of Bihar. Madhubani painting has traditionally been practised by Hindu women, who would paint the walls and floors of their houses before major festivals or family celebrations.

Madhubani paintings are brightly coloured and beautifully detailed, and are often based on a religious subject. In her painting at the Michael Hirschfeld Gallery, Devi will tell the story of the god Rama's defeat of Ravana, the King of the Demons, and victorious return to his kingdom of Ayodhya after an exile of fourteen years.

Shanti Devi will be working on this painting between 15 - 23 October. The Gallery is open while Devi is working, and visitors are welcome to watch the painting process and ask questions. Devi will also be holding workshops with local school students to teach them about Madhubani painting.

ENDS

© Scoop Media