Man & material: The lasting genius of Jangarh Singh Shyam
From the yellow clay of his village to the rOtring pen discovered during a trip abroad, Jangarh approached each medium with curiosity and courage
From the yellow clay of his village to the rOtring pen discovered during a trip abroad, Jangarh approached each medium with curiosity and courage
Nourished for millennia by the infinite variety of nature and its boundless capacity for renewal, artists today show us how to forge a more equitable connection with the earth
A member of the Gond-Pardhan community, Sukhnandi Vyam considers his art as an expression of the tribe’s identity and spiritual connection with nature
Gond is a celebrated, shared art tradition practised by the Gond-Pradhan community in India. The themes revolve around ritualistic idols and motifs and depictions of the natural world and its harmony and are painted in an elaborate pattern of lines and dots. In this painting titled ‘Pahuna’ (meaning an esteemed guest), artist Japani Shyam has… Read more »
The Untitled Gond-Pardhan painting is an acrylic on canvas work, made by artist Rajendra Kumar Shyam. The artist paints a streak of tigers, seemingly running around in a loop. Two tigers appear to be adults, while the others look like cubs- one could presume that the artist has painted a family. Tigers are a common… Read more »
Taking forward her father’s shining legacy, Japani Shyam has developed her own voice, distinctive styles, point of view and stories to tell in the medium of Gond art
Artist Shailee Mehta conducted a fun virtual workshop for children ages 9 to 14 inspired by the themes of Sarmaya’s Mumbai show, ‘Shifting Selves’
If there’s one lesson Mayank Shyam has learnt from his father and legendary Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, it is to be wholly, joyously, uncompromisingly himself and true to the soil that has nourished him
The colours of Gond art, the figures of ancient Egypt and the stories of Greek mythology flower organically on her canvas and demand a closer re-reading
Gond is a celebrated shared art tradition practiced by the Gond-Pradhan community in India. It was first ‘discovered’ by Jagdish Swaminathan who was searching for original artworks from Indian tribes in the 1970s. The search ended with him meeting the talented artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, considered the pioneer of Gond art. The themes of the… Read more »
Gond is a celebrated shared art tradition practiced by the Gond-Pradhan community in India. It was first ‘discovered’ by Jagdish Swaminathan who was searching for original artworks from Indian tribes in the 1970s. The search ended with him meeting the talented artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, considered the pioneer of Gond art. The themes of the… Read more »
This untitled Gond painting of a lion was made by Gariba Singh Tekam in 2019. It measures 113.5cm in height, 150cm in width and was created using acrylic on canvas. It bears a signature in Devnagiri script and is dated ’19’ on the lower right. Accession number: 2020.8.5
We’re stronger together! That was the theme of this Gond art workshop, conducted at a BMC school in Mumbai
City As Lab is a program run by the education consulting firm and think tank Reniscience Education, which aims to foster a spirit of scientific curiosity and a love for research in school children. City As Lab is a yearly project undertaken by schools in different Indian cities over a period of a few months,… Read more »
With each canvas, Durgabai Vyam takes us deeper into the forest of childlike fantasies
Three major Indian art forms—Warli, Mithila and Gond—are being showcased at the travelling exhibition ‘Many Visions, Many Versions’, which has covered various locations across America in 2018-19. The show is curated by Aurogeeta Das and David Szanton and is currently at the Weisman Art Museum in Minnesota till 6 January, 2019. It includes the works… Read more »
Our February workshop at KK Academy, Lucknow lit the spark for a summer of art, performance and fun
The Gond community is regarded as one of the oldest and largest surviving adivasi communities of India. The term Gond is derived from the word ‘Kond’ meaning ‘green mountains’; a majority of the people live in the lush forested regions of Madhya Pradesh, but there are also some Gonds to be found in pockets of… Read more »
Jangarh exemplified the natural theme of Gondi painting. The silent message is clear—everything is interconnected
This is a Gond painting created in the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh. A ritualistic mural tradition of the Gondi tribe, Gond paintings are done on paper with synthetic colours now. This image created by Rajkumar Shyam depicts a tribal goddess called “Maindo Mai”. She holds a broom and a trident in her two arms,… Read more »