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Nakhachitra

Nakhachitra, which comes from the Sanskrit words for nail (nakha) and art (chitra), is the art of fingernail embossing (1). It is a type of Indian folk art that has been practiced since ancient times. One of the first mentions of nail drawings occurred in The Recognition of Sakuntala, a play by the renowned Classical Sanskrit writer Kalidasa, which was written sometime between the 1st century BCE and 4th century CE. However, because it was not acknowledged as a fine art, ancient examples of nail drawings are rarely preserved (2). Today, nakhachitra is a fairly rare form of art, most commonly practiced in the western and southern states of India, particularly Maharashtra; however, it is gaining prominence through the efforts of New York based artist Suhas Tavkar (3).

Historically, because nakhachitra predated the invention of paper, artists most likely used readily available materials such a lotus leaf, banana leaf, or soft tree bark. Today, Suhas Tavkar begins the process of fingernail embossing with a pencil drawing on the back of the paper, though he has been known to create free-style designs (4). Then, he uses the thumb and middle finger of his right hand and rotates the paper with his left hand in order to emboss lines on the paper (5). Nakhachitra is an exacting art form. Every line and every impression is permanent, so there is no way to erase a mistake; the artist must execute the etching perfectly or start all over again (6). Suhas Tavkar originally learned the art of nakhachitra from his father, who in turn learned it from his own father. Tavkar is the first to turn this folk art and hobby into commercial art. A native of Mumbai, India, he used to impress his friends as a teenager by embossing their names in calligraphy. After graduating from the J. J. School of Arts in Bombay and relocating to the United States, he began a long and acclaimed career as a graphic designer in the advertising industry. His foremost wish is to educate people about this rare art form as well as preserve it for years to come.