Jyoti Bhatt’s (b.1934) mission as a painter and a graphic artist is to preserve and to seek inspiration from the fast-disappearing folk art traditions of rural India. Since the Seventies, Bhatt, a member of the Group 1890, has been inspired by the colourful stylised motifs of cross-stitch embroidery from his native Saurashtra; Rangoli motifs of birds, animals, the sun and the moon; impressions of hands and feet; as well as the use of traditional calligraphic ideograms. Bhatt has used all these motifs and yet, broken tradition. He has been successful in creating a new visual vocabulary of contemporary abstract design. Bhatt is recognised as one of India’s major authorities on folk designs.

A talented photographer, he has recently published a book of photographs on the traditional art and designs of rural India.