Eminent Warli artist Jivya Soma Mashe dies

Noted artist Jivya Soma Mashe, who popularised the Warli tribal art form, died after a prolonged illness in the district, an official said today.

He was 84.

Mashe died at his home in Dahanu taluka late last night, an official in the Palghar district administration said.

He had received the Padma Shri in 2011 for his contribution towards the Warli painting. He had got the National Award for the Tribal Art in 1976.

He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

Both his sons are also Warli artists.

Palghar's Resident Deputy Collector Navnath Zare said Mashe would be accorded a state funeral later today.

Mashe was known for his creative reinvention of an art form that was disappearing.

He significantly contributed to the culture and development of the Warlis, a tribe living predominantly in the mountainous and coastal areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

His paintings brought alive glimpses of the tribal vision of nature and culture in equilibrium, and for highlighting the contemporary relevance of local forms of knowledge.

Through his works, the Warli art form emerged from its cocooned world to draw global fame and attention.

Mashe received international recognition for his work and participated in several exhibitions and festivals across the world.