A word that is emerging more and more in collective awareness, an art form that has a niche global audience, a complex amalgamation of people, cultures and political boundaries. To understand ‘Gond’ is far from simple, though the word, the art and the people themselves are clean edged and lacking pretension.
‘The green mountain’, they say, or ‘kond’- a Dravidian word used to encompass the lush green mountains in Central India, the home of the Gond tribe. Though primarily found in Madhya Pradesh, the Gond, now numbered at about 4 million, also find home in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Maharashtra. Like so many indigenous traditions, the Gonds tended more towards oral and visual narratives than script. Few write in their own language, Gondi, the majority finding expression and meaning through colour and voice, metaphor and memory. This has birthed one of the most vibrant visual traditions of India, quickly gaining import and acclaim internationally. This article explores the reasons for this, and unpacks the trajectory of Gond paintings in public awareness.
The Visual Profile of Gond Art
Gond art can be identified by the many segments of lush and vibrant colours that are then filled with intricate repetitive marks that represent “the mark of a plough in a field, seeds, sheaves of grain, scales of a fish, footprints of animals, stars, the crescent moon, or the weave of a fabric or basket” – Dilip Shyam. Large sections are also created in black and white, creating contrasts that draw the eye. Therefore while the usual artistic methods of capturing a three dimensional subject on a flat surface aren’t used, the minute patterns create a dynamic sense of movement and intentionality.
The paintings most often feature portrayals of nature, man and divinity, a characteristic of indigenous forms that emerges perhaps from a state of reverent co-existence. Even the visual characteristics of the art form have been compared to Aboriginal Art from Australia.
Tracing Lineage
The recorded history of the Gond tribe can be traced back 1400 years, though Mesolithic art depicting similar forms have also been found in the area. It cannot be said whether the Gond tribe came upon these cave and wall drawings from 9000-4000 BC and were inspired, or if they are the descendants of the same ancient inscribers. The earliest known Gond paintings were made on the walls of the tribe’s settlements, and natural pigments from plants, tree sap, charcoal, leaves and cow dung were used to impart colour.
Another striking feature of Gond Art is the relationship between a subject and the negative space surrounding it, perhaps gleaned through an appreciation of the living forces of subject, medium and surface. Following the ‘discovery’ of Gond art, artists began to move from wall to canvas, and natural pigment to acrylics and poster colours. This was partially due to an increase in popularity, as well as accessibility to resources; a growing demand for the works meant that the art needed to be mobile. Natural resources that were only extracted during specific times of the year could not be relied upon to provide the amount of paint needed. Not to mention, the use of modern materials have only imbued more colour and vibrancy to the works, delighting the artist and viewer alike. Today, these features are hallmarks of contemporary Gond Art.
Image Courtesy: Jaya He
The World is Coloured in Sacred
Ties to the ancient are particularly strong with the Gond; they are a Dravidian people that still connect to the world via forms of nature. They are a rich resource of different perspectives, viewing the Aryan discourse through a lens unfamiliar to the majority of us. It cannot be said who is monkey, who is demon and who is lord here; the dialogue of power and faith is unraveled and reassembled. There are aspects of the Hindu tradition that made their way into the imaginings of the Gond over time, especially doctrines on “dharma and karma, transmission of soul and its re-birth, merit and sin, and sacred and profane” – Shamrao Koreti. The bridge between the two is built on the awareness of inter-connectedness, of what is beyond the body. Contemporary Gond artists do create depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses, such as Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha. However, in deeply emotional, cultural and aesthetic ways, the practices of animism are held close to their heart, entire mythologies and pantheons preserved within oral traditions.
Development has and will continue to change our relationship with nature. Those still living within the same ecological and cultural frameworks may connect far more to the cycles and spirits of nature, being directly in contact with and at the mercy of the weather, sun, moon or the animals in their area. The Gonds in particular seem to live their lives with a pure willingness to see the divine in everything- the tree, the ant, the clouds, the predator, the mountain- it is all living, breathing divinity to them. One may observe this in the depictions of flora and fauna in the paintings, often anthropomorphized or inhabited by a spirit. One can feel the artist’s reverence, no matter how mundane the subject.
The Discourse of “Discovery”
Gond art continued to be created, contained within the community for thousands of years, and nearly meeting an early demise due to invading cultures. Until one day in 1981. Upon the instructions of J Swaminathan, scouts looking to find indigenous art for the Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal came across walls in a village with paintings arresting to the eye. They were made by the young Pardhan-Gond, Jangarh Singh Shyam.
Persuaded to come to the city and experiment with modern materials, Jangarh began to create paintings that were striking, emboldened by all the colours suddenly available that gave new life to his remembrances and imaginings. Somehow, this young man had found a way to personalize his ancestral art form- to make it his own while still embodying it. He was amongst the first artists to create visual depictions of the Gond gods and goddesses, and is remembered by Mitchell Crites, who said “he would say to me that he would get scared that as he drew them, they would get power and come after him,” (Aurogeeta Das, Jangarh Singh Shyam: The Enchanted Forest).
(Image Courtesy: http://jangarh-singh-shyam-en.blogspot.com/)
A few exhibitions later, he was travelling the world, and making a name for himself in art circles. This seems like every artist’s fantasy- though few can say how this actually felt for Jangarh. Though he was experiencing a steady rise in popularity, and is often credited with bringing the ‘tribal’ to the mainstream, he was further and further from home. “Transported in time, not space” (Amit Dutta), Jangarh was thrust into urbanized global environments where he was neither sophisticated nor ‘tribal’ enough, sought after yet stereotyped and deemed a genius who lacked business panache- was this a world he even wanted to partake in?
As always, such concerns emerged too late. On July 3rd, 2001, at the Mithila Museum of Japan, “that part of the earth which the sun kissed first,” (Venkat Singh Shyam), Jangarh Singh Shyam committed suicide. Only 41 and rising in his career, his death raised questions that are still being asked, still trying to be answered today. Rumours and blame and bureaucratic red tape further complicated the matter. It was Antoine Artaud that said of Vincent Van Gogh- “an artist suicided by society;” a phrase that rings true not just for Jangarh, but for a number of arts and crafts people. To say one has “discovered” something far older than can be known, to denote self-declared umbrella terms (such as folk, tribal) for our convenience, to imagine that one human’s aspirations are the same as another’s- are oversimplifications that can lead to deep errors in judgment. Collectively, as consumers, perhaps we are all guilty of being colonizers. Perhaps we must reach out to ASK, not to possess. Jangarh’s rising fame, and the collective disbelief that someone who had found affluence would ever give it up- raised concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable indigenous arts and craftspeople world-wide. Like so many artists, Jangarh’s works are being financially and holistically acknowledged only posthumously, even inspiring a school born of and dedicated to his style, Jangarh Kalam.
Contemporary Gond Artists
Despite the tragedy of his passing, Jangarh’s emergence gave hope to the Pardhan Gond communities for the potential value of their works, inspiring them to develop individual styles and patterns, to sign their names and take their works out in the world; to risk leaving the sanctuary of their mountainous homes. Nankusiya Shyam (Jangarh’s wife), Japani Shyam (his daughter), Dilip Shyam and Venkat Raman Singh Shyam (his nephews) are all reputed artists continuing in the traditions of their family.
Tsunami, Japani Shyam (Photo Courtesy: http://www.gallerygitanjali.com) 
Roon Deer, Nankushiya Shyam (Photo Courtesy: http://www.fineartamerica.com) 
Untitled, Dilip Shyam ( Photo Courtesy: http://www.gallerygitanjali.com) 
Flaming Taj, Venkat Raman Singh Shyam (Photo Courtesy: http://www.hindustantimes.com)
Within the community of Gond artists, each can tell individual styles apart, having developed distinctive patterns of narrative and design. The initial inability of the Indian audience and heritage systems to acknowledge the value of such art is also transforming, albeit slowly. We have come a long way since 2016, “when Venkat Raman Shyam had asked the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) why they didn’t have space for adivasi artists and the then director had replied, “The NGMA is for modern and contemporary art. There is the Crafts Museum to cater to adivasi and tribal art”” (Ritika Kochhar, The Hindu, May 2019). By 2018, the NGMA had an exhibition of Australian Aboriginal Art on display, raising questions about how long we can afford to hold onto our colonial hangover, while the gifts of our heritage fall to disregard and neglect.
Despite the initial reluctance of Indian cultural and heritage institutions, there are growing attempts by both the government and private patrons to protect and give Gond Art the recognition it deserves. Other prolific Gond artists such as Mayank Shyam, Ram Singh Urveti, Rajendra Kumar Shyam and Narmada Tekam have borne witness to a threefold appreciation in the cost of their works within a decade, with the minimum reserve rate of a single painting by Tekam soaring from INR 60,000 to INR 1,80,000 between 2012 and 2014 alone (Business Today, Feb 2014).
Untitled, Mayank Shyam (Photo Courtesy: http://www.mojarto.com) 
Untitled, Narmada Tekam (Photo Courtesy: http://www.saffronart.com) 
Untitled, Ram Singh Urveti (Photo Courtesy: http://www.galerielouisgendre.com)
Design interventions and innovations are occuring as well, as seen by Durgabai and Subhash Vyam’s installation for the Kochi Biennale in 2018 that was painted on marine plywood. Gond Art can now be found on mugs, coasters, key chains, children’s books and cushion covers, the bright and intricate yet simple motifs suiting a collective aesthetic. What’s fascinating is the emergence of contemporary themes and global events in the art works, individual artists responding to a world they are increasingly taking part in.
Find the works of Sukhnandi Vyam, Subhash Vyam, Durga Bai, Manoj Tekam, Rajendra Shyam and more at our store! We keep a collection of Gond paintings, courtesy of our partners India Art Investment and Gaia Tree. We also have a range of Jaya He exclusive products, created in collaboration with the artists.
References
Aurogeeta Das, Jangarh Singh Shyam: The Enchanted Forest, Roli Books, 2017
Clottes, Jean, The Rock Art of India, Bradshaw Foundation http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/india/central_india/index.php
Conferro Herritae, http://www.conferroheritae.com/artists/dilip-shyam
Goutam Das, Rich Canvas, Feb 16, 2014 (https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/features/gond-tribe-traditional-art-global-recognition-selling-well/story/202691.html)
Kochhar Ritika, A Forest in His Heart: Venkat Raman Singh Shyam, 25 May 2019 https://www.thehindu.com/society/a-forest-in-his-heart-the-art-of-venkat-raman-singh-shyam/article27232215.ece
Koreti, Shamrao, Socio-Cultural History of the Gond Tribes of Middle India, International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 6, No. 4, April 2016
Sharma, Sarika, The End of Madness, 16 Dec 2018, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/spectrum/society/the-end-of
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