Sarita Mishra with her Mithila painting. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, March 3: She has never been to foreign shores but her colourful paintings have won her global recognition

Meet Sarita Mishra, a homemaker in her late thirties from Sidhgora, whose Mithila paintings have not only stole the hearts of Indians, but her exhibitions in the US, South Africa and Australia have won rave reviews.

The art, which was inculcated in her in childhood by family members, has now become a passion after her skill drew recognition by several artists and admirers at several fairs.

A member of Maithili Sanskritik Parishad, Mishra started getting exposure after her creations were showcased in some fairs. Now when her hands are full of orders from various corners of the country, she is receiving calls from foreign land to export her paintings.

“I had put up my creations at fairs across the country, where some international visitors from the US and South Africa liked my paintings and bought them. At the beginning, even my relatives living abroad took my work with them. Now, I get frequent phone calls from them asking me to export my paintings,” said Mishra.

She added that these international buyers have put up her paintings in various exhibitions in different countries including the US, South Africa and Australia.

“Though I have never been to these places, I feel very satisfied when people from other countries appreciate my work. I feel my presence there through my work,” she added.

Though she never took any formal training in art but trains students on Mithila paintings at Suman Memorial Trust.

Her expertise in Mithila paintings has been polished over the years and she chooses her colours depending on the demand of her customers. Her paintings are based on Hindu mythological characters and depicts the Mithila culture.

Starting off with painting on paper, she graduated to working on silk saris, cushion covers, bedsheets and clothes.

“Earlier, I used only natural colours for painting. But these colours fade away faster. Hence, I started using fabric colours to suit the demands of my customers and also to make the paintings vibrant,” said Mishra, a mother of two.

However, she finds it difficult to meet the demands of her customers owing to her responsibilities as a homemaker.

“Mithila paintings are very intricate and all depends on deep imagination. For a large work, it takes at least a fortnight or more. Sometimes, it becomes very hectic. And looking after my two children and meeting the huge orders becomes very difficult,” she said.