At Forum Art Gallery in Chennai, the Sri Pichwai exhibition brings a living link to a four‑century‑old devotional art form. Painter Yugdeepak Soni, a native of Udaipur and a grandson‑disciple of the late Badri Lal Chitrakar, translates the temple tradition of Nathdwara into a series of richly detailed works that feel both reverent and contemporary.

Pichwai—originally cloth backdrops hung behind the idol of Shrinathji, the child form of Krishna—served to carry the rhythm of festivals into the sanctuary. Soni’s pieces, rendered on handmade paper, echo those origins with familiar motifs: the gentle cow, blooming lotus, peacock feathers and monsoon clouds, each placed within elaborate narrative scenes that celebrate moments such as Janmashtami, Sharad Purnima and Govardhan Puja.

The artist adheres to the painstaking material heritage of the craft, grinding natural pigments and semi‑precious stones to achieve colours like the deep red derived from hinglu stone. He notes how modern commercial palettes have altered these hues, yet his commitment to the traditional process remains evident in every brushstroke.

While Soni expresses concern that younger generations may lack the patience for such labor‑intensive practice, the exhibition stands as a vibrant reminder of pichwai’s spiritual and aesthetic power, inviting viewers to pause and appreciate a lineage that has survived centuries.

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