Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, extract from mailanji leaves (Lawsonia inermis), turmeric rhizome, mint leaves and charcoal; the frame is pasted with animal gum 
Environment

The living canvas

Reviving plant-based pigments and handmade paper is the ultimate remedy for modern art

George Fernandez. E

Art has always reflected our relationship with the earth. For centuries, artists gathered fruits, crushed minerals and boiled roots to make pigments and leave their mark on the world. The industrial revolution, however, introduced a synthetic palette: acrylics, petroleum-based oils and chemically treated papers designed for mass production and permanence. These materials offered convenience and durability, but at a hidden cost. 

Synthetic paints can contain volatile organic compounds, heavy metals such as cadmium and cobalt, and chemical preservatives. Conventional commercial paper often relies heavily on chlorine-based bleaching and synthetic sizing agents. Prolonged exposure through inhalation or skin contact can cause respiratory problems, skin allergies, and depending on the substance and level of exposure, neurological and other long-term health effects. 

As concerns about the environmental and health effects of synthetic art materials grow, a return to plant-based pigments and handmade paper offers a more sustainable and single best path for the future of art. 

For the last few years, I have been experimenting with natural plant pigments and binders. These botanical pigments are free from synthetic fixatives. Instead, they are bound with natural ingredients like gum Arabic and neem gum. The result is paint made from materials that are safe to handle, breathe around and wash away, turning the studio into a more natural and safe space. 

Here is a selection of paintings that will be exhibited at my solo exhibition in Trivandrum, Kerala, from November 8 to 10.

Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, extracts from neelamari (Indigofera tinctoria) and mailangi (Lawsonia inermis) leaves, turmeric rhizome and charcoal; the frame is assembled with animal gum
Prepared using cow-dung water, neem gum, extracts from red sandal wood, banyan tree leaves and charcoal; frame pasted with animal gum
Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, extracts from beetroot, moringa leaves and charcoal; frame pasted with animal gum
Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, extracts from turmeric rhizome, neelamari (Indigofera tinctoria) leaves, coconut shell, red amaranthus and charcoal; the frame is assembled with animal gum
Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, banyan tree bark, leaves of communist pacha (Siam weed or Chromolaena odorata) and charcoal; the frame is assembled with animal gum
Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, extract from bark of the karingali tree (Acacia catechu) and guava tree leaves, and charcoal; the frame is pasted with animal gum
Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, mustard-seed extract, banyan bark and charcoal; the frame is pasted with animal gum
Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, extracts from kaduka fruit (Terminalia chebula), coconut shell and guava leaves, and charcoal; the frame is assembled with animal gum
Medium uses cow-dung water, neem gum, extracts from red cabbage, lovelolika fruit (Flacourtia jangomas) and neem leaves, and charcoal; the frame is pasted with animal gum

Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth