Talks
Mithila Paintings: Home, Rituals and Traditions
David Szanton
David Szanton, President of the Ethnic Art Foundation (EAF) and a published author, looks at the long-term evolution of Mithila paintings from a domestic ritual tradition, to an indigenous art form with a continually expanding repertoire. This illustrated talk looks at contemporary practitioners, their use of style or form and how they get translated into immediate relevant subjects. He will discuss the significant shift in the art form’s evolution in the late 1960s, when paper became a primary medium, and examine the diverse range of artists and styles that have emerged since. Szanton will also shed light on the Ethnic Art Foundation’s (EAF) crucial role in promoting and popularising Mithila Paintings.
Bookings
David Szanton
Author and President of the Ethnic Art Foundation
David L. Szanton is an American anthropologist renowned for his extensive work in South Asian studies and education policy. Beyond his roles at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and the University of California, Berkeley, Szanton has collaborated with several esteemed institutions. He has authored Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form (2007) and Many Visions, Many Versions: Art from Indigenous Communities in India (2017). In 1971, he served as an assistant to Howard G. Schaller in the Ford Foundation’s Southeast Asia office, contributing to the foundation’s initiatives in the region. In 1980, Szanton co-founded the Ethnic Arts Foundation (EAF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting Mithila art—a traditional women’s art form from the Mithila region of India and Nepal. As president of the EAF, he has been instrumental in fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation through the arts. David’s enduring commitment to anthropology, education, and the preservation of indigenous art forms underscores his significant contributions to these fields.
