Out of the various styles that Sampada is proficient in, this exhibit highlights two styles, both rooted in and inspired by nature, yet as different as they can be –

Warli art: is a tribal art that hails from the state of Maharashtra in India, that is monochromatic and minimalistic, yet highly expressive. With brown mud backgrounds and drawings in white, the paintings bring an element of freshness to the day-to-day events that they symbolize. The Warli pay homage to various forms of nature – the sun, the moon, and the gods of thunder, lightning, wind and rain. With these paintings, they convey and reinforce their bond with nature.

Mithila art: Also known as Madhubani, or ‘forest of honey’, this folk-art style has been practiced in, and around the state of Bihar in India and parts of Nepal. Practiced solely by the women of the family and passed down to daughters, this colorful and flamboyant style is infused with symbolism and draws heavily from nature. Every corner teeming with life, with flora and fauna depicted in a “horror vacui” approach, is the hallmark of this style that leads to busy, yet aesthetically pleasing compositions.

Sampada Kodagali Agarwal is a self-taught visual artist, who has spent more than 15 years exploring traditional Indian folk and tribal arts. She is a resident of Morrisville, NC and works in the RTP at Credit Suisse, an investment bank based out of Zurich, as an IT professional.