“Could it be that human beings—whether Indian or Japanese—are like fishermen who cast their nets to fish but can only reach relatively shallow waters? We know a lot of things and are constantly learning more, but maybe what we have most in common with each other is what is unknown to us. The depths of the ocean, and our relationship to that world, still remain hidden and mysterious.” - Mayur and Tushar Vayeda
Brothers Mayur and Tushar Vayeda made this artists’ book. They are from the indigenous Warli community in Maharashtra, western India and grew up in the village of Ganjad. After studying animation and business management in Mumbai, the brothers taught themselves the traditional art of Warli painting.
Warli art is traditionally created by the women in the community, who decorate the walls and floors of their homes, as well as community spaces and for festivals. As such, Warli paintings were temporary, constantly renewed and recreated.
Today, both women and men make Warli painting, and they are also made more permanent on paper or canvas. The Vayeda brothers incorporate traditional Warli painting style but create a new vision.
In this book, the Vayeda brothers tell their journey from Ganjad to a small Japanese island called Awashima, connecting the village stream they knew from their childhood to the deep oceans they encountered in Awashima.
The deep for the text Arun Wolf and Gita Wolf from an oral narrative by Mayur Vayeda and Tushar Vayeda. Chennai : Tara Books, [2020] Vayeda, Mayur [artist] Vayeda, Tushar [artist] HOLLIS number: 99157144381803941