Resembling the meditative art of Rothko, the tantrics of Rajasthan were painting similar compositions on the grounds of cosmology and metaphysics in the 17th century. Although the paintings were derived from Tantric Hinduism that began as early as the 5th or 6th century, these small paintings are a reflection of Tantric philosophy that symbolises the undifferentiated absolute, or the shunya - the absolute void of the supreme deity. As per traditions, after painting, the community would meditate with these drawings to reach out to Hindu Gods. As such, the beauty of these drawings lies in their ability to hold context with the means of visual simplicity and rich philosophy.

This peculiar practice managed to come under the popular gaze in 1970, thanks to French poet Franck André Jamme. While looking through a catalogue in a Parisian gallery, he happened to come across pictures of these compelling, yet abstract compositions. Three decades later, in love with the poetic oeuvre designed by the tantras, Jamme travelled to India in search of their origin. Unfortunately, all he managed to receive were some harsh injuries from an accident, which landed him back to France.

But it wasn’t enough to keep him away, he travelled back to India in 1985. “The main idea was to learn some precise things about this art, since at the time there was very little published about it,” explains Jamme in an interview with The Paris Review. “I learned that the vocabulary of the paintings is very similar to that of ragas in Indian classical music. It is a kind of traditional activity in the family. At a very young age, they learn to do meditation and other related exercises, one of which is to paint. Sometimes these pieces are made as gifts for someone else in the family, who can then worship it.”

As he travelled into the corners of Rajasthan, he met more and more families who were practising the tradition. With their help, he managed to exhibit the works in Paris in 1994, which later made him compile the paintings into a visual catalogue called Tantra Song. Interestingly, this spiritual art caught the Western gaze immediately. Artists began using it as a source of inspiration, thus bringing a convergence of East and West, with this particular style at least. One might call this a classic example of orientalism or a product of Jamme’s efforts, but it doesn’t beat the fact that now these paintings are a historical artifact that helps shed light on traditions that remained forgotten until Jamme.

Words: Karan Kaul