DepartmentAsia

A Brave Cycle Girl

NameMithila Painting

Artist Puja Kumari Jha

Date2020

Place madeBihar, Madhubani, INDIA, ASIA

MediumAcrylic on handmade paper

Dimensions38.1H x 55.88W cm
15H x 22W in

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, Museum Purchase, MNM Collection, A.2022.32.1

Object numberA.2022.32.1

DescriptionPeople riding double seated bicycles, some wearing facial protective coverings, three women with hands together in top right, white on black with selective pops of red color.

Artist Puja Jha explains this painting: “Courage is the most important
attribute of humans. During the COVID-19 lockdown when the entire
world is fighting the Pandemic, a young brave girl stood firm for her
family and carried her injured father on her bicycle for more than 700
miles to their home village. I am a passionate Mithila artist from the
village Ramnagar in District Madhubani, Bihar, India. I have learned to
paint by carefully observing the works of [elder] ladies from my village.”
Jha refers to the time when India’s urban street people and migrant
workers were ordered to go back to their home villages. News stories
described millions of people walking by foot and riding bicycles
hundreds of miles, leaving cities and returning to their villages (from exhibition label text).