Further Examples of Ephemeral Arts
The most notable examples in this site are drawn from the Indian Subcontinent. These are mehndi, rangoli, masks, fancy festival dress, face painting and floral decorations.
Mehndi consists of decorations of hands, feet and face by using henna paste. Mehndi is used to celebrate weddings, cultural events and now, increasingly as a fashion statement. Examples of mehndi are shown in the Mehndi Gallery. Please see the website using the links given on the left.
Rangoli shown here is another example of ephemeral arts. Rangoli is the creation of images using grains, lentils, rice, leaves and seeds to celebrate various cultural events such as Diwali and the New Year. Rangolis are also created using coloured powders, petals, soils and coloured rice. The patterns are typically colourful and often geometric in design.
Masks. There is a long tradition of mask making in the Indian Sub-continent. Used ceremonially and in street performance, masks are generally made from paper pulp or tree fibre. In performances, men will often play female roles by wearing masks. Examples of masks are provided in the exhibition.
Flower decorations. A large number of ephemeral arts, such as masks and garlands use flowers due to their short-lived beauty. Certain types, such as marigold and rose, are used more commonly used since their colour or scent religious significance.
Alpana is a floor art that uses utilises a combination of coloured pastes and flower petals.
Dussehra (spelt differently by various communities) is an annual religious Festival that commemorates the victory of good over evil, the demon Ravan. Community members build work together to build the towering effigy of Ravan and act out a ceremonial battle between good and evil. The ritual climaxes with the triumphant burning of the demon against a night sky.
Face painting is perhaps the most widespread ephemeral art, being particularly popular with children around the world. However, in the Indian Sub-Continent it has a much greater spiritual significance. Various communities use face painting to express important messages relating to cultural events.
Further examples are to be added showing the ephemeral arts from countries in Africa, North and South America, Europe, the Far East, Australia and all island communities in the world.
Do you have pictures that could be published here? Please contact me by using the email address given on the left. This site follows copyright regulations before readers' pictures can be published.
