“Celebration of Folk Traditions, 2025” is an attempt to engage with folk art traditions in their modern contexts and through a contemporary lens. Folk arts are, by nature, in step with their times. That is why, in their themes, characters, forms of presentation, and symbolic meanings, they effortlessly embody elements that reflect their philosophy of life-the worldview of those who safeguard this heritage.

At its heart, this celebration is an effort to understand how the life philosophy inherent in folk art traditions-and in the artists associated with them-is expressed through various artistic forms, and how, by transcending the boundaries of the present, they begin to shape new definitions of art on alternative platforms. 

As part of this endeavour, Folkartopedia Foundation is organising the first National Exhibition of Folk Arts in the historic city of Patna, in northern India. Through this exhibition, the aim is to explore the aesthetic elements embedded in traditional folk practices, along with the sources of inspiration behind their contemporary expressions. It seeks to understand how an art-conscious society-its fundamental daily needs, the creative processes that meet them, and the visual languages associated with them – evolves from the ordinary to the extraordinary through the infusion of new ideas and themes. 

Amidst all this, a central question arises: how accessible are the concepts behind these expressions, the techniques involved in their creation, and the alternative platforms where they emerge? And how navigable is the path that leads us to them?

Sunil Kumar  
Curator I COFT 2025