intro

Prior to the Muslim invasions of the 14th century, the

Gond people were a culturally significant tribe in central
India. Today, their art and culture is being rediscovered
by a local and international audience. This is due mainly
to the events of exhibitions by the Gond artist Jangarh
Singh Shyam's work in Paris and Japan, in 1988. Since
then, other Gond artists have also had their work
exhibited internationally. Despite this renewed interest in
Gond art, little has been written about their work. While
much is known about the people and their customs, little
is known about their artworks and what motivates their
style of art and the depiction of particular elements in
their works. This paper begins to address this apparent
gap in the literature by reviewing a recent contemporary
art exhibition of Gond art at the Art Gallery of South
Australia.

What is GOND Art ?

Gond art is the paintings of Pardhan Gonds, the indigenous people living near
Madhya Pradesh in Central India.

In the olden times, the occupation of Pardhan Gond people were to sing invocations
to the divine beings in nature, along with the string instrument called Bana. They
were also the storytellers of the villages, who would educate the younger
generation about their mythology and culture. The Gond art originates in the wall
decoration they used to make in their house as a part of their daily life.

Gond art is characterised by the mythical as well as folklore motif passed down
among them, floral as well as faunal motif, and the patterned designs delicately
filling each motif. There is no end in listing its charm; the mutuality between the
humans and the animals, uniquely drawn creatures, the variety of colour
combinations, the beauty of patterned designs, and so on.

Pop and modern while being a tribal art, Gond art has been introduced in many
museums around the world in the recent years. In Japan, it is increasingly being
recognised through the handmade screen-printed books by Tara Books, such as “The
Night Life of Trees” and “Creation”.

##Jangarh Singh Shyam

In the 1980s, a group of researchers in search of indegenous art found a relief
made by a young Pardhan Gond, Jangarh Singh Shyam (1962-2001). The curator J.
Swaminathan, the leader of the research group, was astonished by the rare talent of
Jangarh, and persuaded him to study painting. Jangarh moved from the village to
city, and started painting on the paper and canvas that he was given. Jangarh’s
unique work gained reputation, and the 1989 exhibition at Centre Pompidou
mesmerised many art lovers.

Besides his own painting work, Jangarh started an atelier school called “Jangarh
Kalam” where he taught his people from the village how to paint. This gave rise to
the Gond art as we know now. Unfortunately, Jangarh left the world at the young age
of 39; but his students are now flourishing as Gond artists worldwide.