TRANSFORMING TRADITIONAL AND NATIVE FORMS INTO CONTEMPORARY VISUAL LANGUAGE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i5s.2026.7720Keywords:
Indian Contemporary Sculpture, Tradition as Metaphor, Ritual and Art, Iconography, Cultural ContinuityAbstract [English]
Continuity in Indian art is rooted in the ongoing transformation of traditional and native visual forms into contemporary practices. In a global and pluralistic context, Indian contemporary art reinterprets indigenous imagery, rituals, materials, and iconography to create new artistic expressions. Although contemporary art is not a direct copy of tradition, there remains ambiguity regarding how traditional forms operate as metaphors within contemporary artistic language, and how strong traditional references may sometimes overshadow personal expression. This study examines the historical relationship between art, ritual, mythology, nature, and everyday life, alongside a qualitative visual analysis of selected contemporary sculptural practices. Using contextual and comparative approaches, it investigates how traditional images are translated into contemporary visual language. The study demonstrates that traditional imagery functions primarily as metaphor rather than literal representation, communicating meaning at personal, experiential, and conceptual levels. Ritual practices and native forms significantly influence artists in constructing their own visual poetry, shaping distinct artistic languages grounded in cultural memory. The continuity in Indian contemporary sculpture thus lies in the transformative use of tradition as a conceptual and metaphorical tool that enables individual expression while sustaining cultural roots. Future research may explore region-specific and ritual-based practices to further understand how artists negotiate the balance between inherited tradition and individual creativity.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Ganesh Urala H.G., Dr. Shree Kant
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