In ancient Mithila - a land in the foothills of the Himalayas, criss-crossed by rivers and paddy fields - the arts and philosophy developed over centuries. The heritage of this region (now divided between India and Nepal) is one of the most interesting in India. It was here that Mithila painting, created by women, developed.
The 'Holi Colours' exhibition presents the early period (1970s and 1980s) of the development of this painting genre on paper, customarily referred to as 'holi colours' (from the water-dissolved, coloured powders used during the Holi festival). The Asia-Pacific Museum has the largest collection of mithila painting in Europe and one of the largest in the world.