"NakhaChitra" fingernail sculpted relief art

“NakhaChitra” word and meaning

 Word “NAKHACHITRA” comes from the ancient Indian Sanskrit language of the Hindus for the Fingernail sculpted art, which is created just by using own fingernails without using any artist tools, machine or hand press.

 "NakhaChitra" (fingernail sculpted art) is one of the world's rarest, ancient, unique and unknown art form (Nakha means fingernail, Chitra means art and Nakhachitrakar means fingernail sculpted artist in Sanskrit language of the Hindus) humans ever created at the beginning of the human race. Not a single art history book or museum has given reference or importance to this original fingernail art form which is created by humans (God-given fingernails as a first basic tool to write and draw). I would like to educate people around the world about this unknown forgotten art form, still exists even today. I think humans may have started this art form at the beginning of the human race through etchings on the soft wooden bark, mud or on the large banana or lotus leaves using their fingernails as a tool for creating art and writing. It takes back at least to the 5th century AD, by which time Kalidasa-the great play writer and poet of the Sanskrit language had mentioned that love letter written by Shakuntala on a lotus leaf with her fingernail in his play “The Recognition of Shakuntala”. This reference shows that the people from India were using Nakha (fingernails) regularly for writing on leaves, but according to me “NakhaChitrakala”(fingernail sculpted art) is originated in Ancient India.

My name is Suhas Tavkar and I was born in 1942 and raised in Mumbai (Bombay), India, and I was exposed to the art of NakhaChitra - fingernail embossing on paper as a child but started doing NakhaChitra at the age of four. Almost last 34 years I am living in Queens, New York and even today for last 64 years I am creating this NakhaChitra art. I have learned this unusual and rare fingernail relief art on paper from my late architect father Anant Tavkar who in turn, learned it from his father and mother as a child (even today I can trace my family names from 1562, means NakhaChitra art has been practiced by my family members even before that time for generations). Recently I have created some largest size  (7.5"X20") of NakhaChitra pieces on 2ply Strathmore kid paper that I think no one has ever created in the world.

I believe,

 “ Every living creature on planet earth is an artist and also a wonderful piece of art ”

Suhas Tavkar Nakhaachitrakar