It is not possible to understand Tribal Art and Culture in just one lifetime.”

In a seminar titled “Tribal Art in the context of Design” on 08 May 2025 (Thursday) at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Bhopal, the keynote speaker Dr. Vasant Nirgune, Retired Survey Officer, Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Lok Kala Parishad, Department of Culture Bhopal said that “tribal art and culture is so vast that it is not possible to understand it in just one lifetime.”Dr. Vasant Nirgune, a veteran educationist, cultural philosopher and advocate of indigenous knowledge systems, said “tribal communities acquire art and knowledge from life itself, not from any institute or college” and “Due to their concept of being Unique, tribals basically never copy each other except their sub-caste.” “All tribal art, language, culture, songs and music differ from tribe to tribe and their script is derived from ancient cave paintings (like the World Heritage Bhimbetka).”The other panelists in the seminar were Mr. B.R. Satpute, Field Coordinator, Tribal Research and Development Institute, Bhopal, Adim Janjatiya Anusandhan Evam Vikas Sansthan, Dr. Archana Jain, Director, Jinshakh Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., Ms. Deepa Dixit, Chairperson, Ragini Foundation, and the panelists from NIFT Bhopal were Ms. Supriya Yadav, Associate Professor, NIFT Bhopal, Fashion & Lifestyle Accessories (F&LA), Dr. Anupam Saxena, Associate Professor, NIFT Bhopal, Cluster Initiative Coordinator (CIC), and Dr. Latika Bhatt, Assistant Professor, NIFT Bhopal, Textile Design (TD).The panelists contributed with their experience and expertise by saying that tribal art can be preserved by giving it a sustainable form so that its suitability remains intact. Tribal art is inspired by nature and its maximum use is seen in textile design, efforts should be made to make this art reach the middle class so that awareness about this art increases and artists keep getting livelihood opportunities.The event also included an exhibition, panel discussion and question & answer session. Lt. Col. Ashish Agarwal, Director NIFT Bhopal and Mr. Akhil Sahay, Joint Director NIFT Bhopal along with all the officers, faculty members, staff and students were present in this seminar. This seminar was coordinated by Ms. Supriya Yadav, Associate Professor and Nodal Officer.