intellect
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The artists now work daily at
the Janakpur Women's Development Center. It is a beautiful complex
which the members decorated with traditional mud relief designs. The
artists share ideas and images with women working in other sections of
the Center who produce ceramics, textile, and papier mache. Over the
years they have also received training in literacy, management,
planning, gender awareness, health and child care. For them, painting
is synonymous with a new social life with women friends from different
villages and castes, and some of the stories they typically share are
recounted in the next pages. My hope is that this exhibit will help to
create a greater understanding of the Janakpur artists, as well as a
new interest in how their art evolves.
this painting is called "two coiled peacocks"  the
artist: Pulaba Mandal
 I learned to make designs on houses from my mother. People would say, look at how her daughters can make designs. I saw my mother and sister do it, then I did it. We used lime and colors bought from the market which we mixed with milk. Now I paint just like I did on the walls of my house when I was first asked to join the center. I make elephants, horses, people, and wedding palanquins. When I was married I went in a palanquin to my husband's house. I cried and couldn't eat. In my village I'd never had to cover my head but I always had to keep covered in front of my in-laws. Then for two years I wasn't given enough food because my father-in-law said my husband didn't work. So I'd meet my mother in the bazaar and she'd hand me salt, a kilo of rice which lasted two nights, and some kerosene. Then I grew angry with my husband and told him if my mother died we could never survive. So he began to work a little in the fields. Then I started work at the center and now he stays home and watches our three children. In my designs I often make small triangles and two short double lines which make the image look nicer. My paintings often show rural people, vegetables and animals. Lately I like making up designs of peacocks and other birds—these designs come out of my head. text
and images © JWDC
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T A O t e C H I N G 
f i f
t y - f o u r
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What is firmly established cannot be uprooted. What is firmly grasped cannot slip away. It will be honored from generation to generation. Cultivate Virtue in your self, And Virtue will be real. Cultivate it in the family, And Virtue will abound. Cultivate it in the village, And Virtue will grow. Cultivate it in the nation, And Virtue will be abundant. Cultivate it in the universe, And Virtue will be everywhere. Therefore look at the body as body; Look at the family as family; Look at the village as village; Look at the nation as nation; Look at the universe as universe. How do I know the universe is like this? By looking! — translation by GIA-FU
FENG
Whoever is planted in the Tao will not be rooted up. Whoever embraces the Tao will not slip away. Her name will be held in honor from generation to generation. Let the Tao be present in your life and you will become genuine. Let it be present in your family and your family will flourish. Let it be present in your country and your country will be an example to all countries in the world. Let it be present in the universe and the universe will sing. How do I know this is true? By looking inside myself. — translation by STEVEN
MITCHELL
Cultivate harmony within yourself,
and harmony becomes real;
Cultivate harmony within your family, and harmony becomes fertile; Cultivate harmony within your community, and harmony becomes abundant; Cultivate harmony within your culture, and harmony becomes enduring; Cultivate harmony within the world, and harmony becomes ubiquitous. Live with a person to understand that person; Live with a family to understand that family; Live with a community to understand that community; Live with a culture to understand that culture; Live with the world to understand the world. How can I live with the world? By accepting. — translation by P.
MEREL
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