Pen and Ink Portrait of an Indian Tribal Woman from the Gadaba Tribe of Odisha

I completed this pen and ink portrait of a woman from the Gadaba tribe of India. The most important piece of their jewelry is the twin-neckrings they were all their lives. The neck-rings that together weigh about 1.5 kgs are called Khagla that all grownup women of the community wear. The Khagla is put around their necks by a blacksmith and it’s removed by a blacksmith after death.

Additionally, they also wear huge hoops made of thin gold/brass wires twisted together. These hoops go through the cartilage of the ear. Smaller earrings are worn along the edge of the ear and also in the lobe.

Gadaba Woman – Tribal Portraits in Pen and Ink – done on Acid Free Strathmore sheet of 9″x12″