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India Today
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
In Gond art, nature is left, right and centre. Tribal youth are taking it global
The Jangarh Kalam exhibition at Triveni Kala Sangam in New Delhi, centred around Gond art, was saying a lot without using words. There was no text, but the artistic voice was loud and clear. The paintings on display elicited the same emotion; they had the same message: we need to reimagine how we think about wasn't a crowded exhibition hall. But what those frames on the walls, with their bold strokes, minute dots, and vibrant contrasts were saying, was nothing short of a quiet revolution. It was a voice -- perhaps many voices -- telling us what we had stopped hearing long ago: the voice of the forest, the trees, the birds, the was the work of Gond artists, a tribal community that paints not just to express beauty, but to preserve memory. And it all started with a name most wouldn't find in textbooks, Jangarh Singh Shyam -- back in the 1980s. Jangarh Singh Shyam is credited by art critic Udayan Vajpeyi as the founder of a new style of Indian painting, which he calls the 'Jangarh Kalam'. His work often features Gond deities such as Thakur Dev, Bada Deo, and Kalsahin these spiritual figures, Jangarh also painted animals -- tigers, deer, turtles, and crocodiles -- using a distinct cutout-like style that became a hallmark of his the year 1989, his art was displayed in the Pompidou Centre's Magiciens de la Terre (Magicians of Earth) exhibition in started without canvas or even brushes. He just started to paint what he saw: trees, animals, rituals, spirits of the forest. He painted to document a life so deeply interwoven with nature that you couldn't separate one from the other. Gond art doesn't decorate, it remembers. In the heart of the forest and the flow of the river, the goddess rides not just the crocodile, but the memory of her people, painted leaf by leaf, scale by scale. 'The inspiration of one man is now helping thousands of others. The work of Jangarh Singh came as a light for the tribal community of the region, and now these youngsters are not only carrying the legacy forward but also have a means to earn a livelihood,' said RN Singh, Founder and Managing Director of Progressive Art painting in the exhibition had a passionate aura that drew you closer. One canvas showed a goddess riding a crocodile under a tree full of birds and monkeys, life in full motion, life in balance. Another captured women dancing in a circle, tied together in rhythm and labour. Nothing fancy. Just stories we forgot to tell ourselves. Women dancing in a circle, tied together in rhythm and labour. The painting that was the most awe-inspiring was of a tree, with branches wide like arms stretched out before an embrace. Beneath it, deer grazed. Birds rested. Elephants was no human in sight, yet humanity could be felt everywhere. That tree wasn't just a tree. It was shelter for thousands out there in the artists whose work was displayed in the capital city of India, some less than 22 years of age, didn't speak much. They didn't need to. Their dots, lines, brushstrokes did all the the irony struck: those who live closest to the earth speak of it the least, but understand it the often chase retreats to mountains or beaches to "disconnect," to "find peace." But what if peace isn't a destination? What if it's in these paintings that hang quietly on beige walls, away from malls and noise? Art that doesn't of these artists, like Rahul Shyam, Ram Kumar Shyam, Sunil Shyam, and others whose work was witnessed during the exhibition, come from villages where resources are scarce but imagination overflows. They paint from memory. They paint because that's how they archive them, nature isn't a weekend getaway. It's a mother, a witness, a god, a artwork showed a lion with a human face, trees bursting into patterns, women drawing water. Each frame felt like it was another masterpiece, a bird nested in a tree within a goat's back. Maybe the artist was trying to say that all life shelters were no labels screaming 'Masterpiece'. No artist's statement in titles, sizes, and the names, some I'd never heard before, but now won't forget. A striking Gond artwork blending myth and nature, an elephant-tiger hybrid surrounded by village life, trees, and birds, capturing the deep connection between tribal imagination and the living landscape. advertisementAnd here lies the beauty of what Gond art does, it tells us that we're not above nature, we're part of it. When the earth breathes, we do. When it hurts, we many of us, nature is something to visit. For them, it is home. These paintings, beyond being art, are letters from someone leaving the exhibition hall carried a certain silence in their mind.A young visitor shared her experience: 'I don't know, but this place and all these paintings hit hard. The way they've been painted is a masterclass. We may be living our lives in the city, but these artists, who put everything around them onto the canvas, are the ones truly enjoying it.'You don't need to travel to forests to hear these artists. You can stand in a white-walled room in the heart of a city and listen, if you choose exhibition was held at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi from June 30 to July 10, 2025, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.- Ends advertisement
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Jangarh Kalam from Patangarh Continued': an exhibit in memory of a Gond artist at Delhi's Triveni Kala Sangam
Artist Ram Kumar Shyam distinctly remembers the fateful day in July 2001 when Gond art legend Jangarh Singh Shyam's body was brought to Bhopal from Mithila Museum in Japan, where he allegedly died by suicide during a residency. 'Entire Patangarh (Jangarh's native village) was in mourning. Extremely generous and compassionate, he was a legend who had brought recognition to us, our village and our traditional stories through his art. He had single-handedly built a new school of painting and trained so many others from the village to pursue it,' states Ram Kumar. For him, it is a matter of pride that his work is now part of an exhibition featuring previously unseen works by Jangarh. Titled 'Jangarh Kalam from Patangarh Continued', the showcase organised by Progressive Art Gallery (PAG) and The Raza Foundation features works by 18 Gond artists. At Shridharani Art Gallery at Triveni Kala Sangam, the show is on till July 10. 'The aim is to celebrate the genre and help younger talent gain recognition. Over the years, the form has seen several changes and with continued experimentation it is bound to gain further popularity,' says RN Singh, founder of PAG. Associated with Dhoomimal Gallery in Delhi in the '80s, when Jangarh had his first solo in the space, Singh adds, 'It's commendable how he worked towards this for not just himself but others belonging to his tribe. Extremely simple and sincere, he wasn't comfortable working on paper when J Swaminathan first met him, but he was a keen learner who wanted to do so much more.' Distinguished by repetitive lines and minuscule dots that come together to share oral tales and folklore of the Pradhan Gonds, while more contemporary portrayals have been seen in Gond art in more recent years, the traditional narratives continue. The exhibition, for instance, includes a Nakul Pusham canvas with a goddess seated on a fish, under a tree with birds perched. If artist Kunti Shyam has Buddha meditating under a tree, in Ram Kumar's canvas birds are seen flying in the sky, announcing the onset of the monsoons to other inhabitants of the forest. Artist Sushma Shyam, who learnt the nuances of the art from her husband Sunil Shyam after they got married nine years ago, has painted a scene depicting the harmful effects of alcohol, borrowing from a folktale. 'We try to bring our unique perspective to each story,' states Sushma. While The Raza Foundation has planned a workshop in Mandla with Gond artists from Patangarh later this month, PAG will be taking the ongoing exhibition to its Dubai gallery. 'Through this exhibition, we witness not merely the legacy of a singular artist but the sustained evolution of a genre that has resisted marginalisation, embraced innovation, and anchored itself in both community and contemporary discourse,' added Harsh Vardhan Singh, director of PAG, who has curated the exhibition. The Madhya Pradesh government, meanwhile, is also reportedly building a museum on Jangarh Singh Shyam in Patangarh. 'It is wonderful that he is getting such recognition. Several government officials have been visiting Patangarh. This will surely help bring the village onto the global art map,' adds Ram Kumar. The indigenous art form is inspired by folktales and songs traditionally sung by Pardhan Gonds, a tribal community in Central India. While its origins are often traced to intricate patterns and nature-inspired motifs that were once made on the walls of village homes with natural pigments derived from plants and minerals, Jangarh Singh Shyam is credited with bringing it onto paper and canvases. A flautist, his artistic calibre was spotted in the early 1980s by one of search teams sent out by artist J Swaminathan to scout for talent in the interiors of Madhya Pradesh ahead of the opening of Bharat Bhavan, a multi-arts centre in Bhopal. Impressed by 17-year-old Jangarh's Hanuman in peeli mitti, the search party had requested Jangarh to paint on paper, taking the sheets back to Swaminathan, who invited him to work in Bhopal. A keen learner, he soon became adept with acrylics and ink. Centered around indigenous tales, his paintings and line drawings in vivid colours also reflected on urban surroundings and issues.
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Jangarh Kalam, the next generation
"The Gonds were not mainly known for making art," said Harsh Vardhan Singh, the director of Progressive Art Gallery. It was only after Jangarh Singh Shyam began painting that Gond art found a new identity and style, he added. The Progressive Art Gallery which is supporting the 'Jangarh Kalam – Continuing in Patangarh' exhibition is being held at Triveni Kala Sangam under the aegis of The Raza Foundation. It features 30 artworks made by 18 Gond artists. 'Jangarh Kalam' is now considered a new school of Indian art named after the popular Adivasi artist, Jangarh Singh Shyam. Born in 1962, in the Patangarh village of Madhya Pradesh, Jangarh, as he came to be known in the art world, started from painting temple walls to becoming a globally recognised artist. His work is characterised by careful dotting, fine line work, and the use of vivid colours to make whimsical beings, deities, flora, and fauna. The artist was discovered in the 1980s by anthropologist and the then director of Bhopal Bhavan, Jagdish Swaminathan. Swaminathan was amazed by the young painter's work, and invited him to work at Bharat Bhavan's newly established Roopankar Tribal and Folk art Museum. Jangarh was offered materials like paper, canvas and painting tools which were previously unfamiliar to him. While Jangarh passed away in Niigata, Japan in 2001, at just 39, his artistic legacy lives on among his family members and disciples, inspiring artists from the Gond heartland.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bengaluru airport, Museum of Art & Photography team up to transform Terminal 2 into cultural hub
Bengaluru: Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has partnered with the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) to transform Terminal 2 (T2) into a dynamic cultural destination. The collaboration aims to offer passengers an immersive experience of South Asian art and heritage, seamlessly integrated into their travel journey. T2, already known for its strong artistic identity with over 210 curated artworks by more than 60 artists, now expands its cultural footprint through a series of interactive digital installations. At the domestic terminal, travellers can access a digital art archive through MAP's Gallery on Demand. It features works by celebrated artists such as Jamini Roy, Jangarh Singh Shyam, Jyoti Bhatt, Suresh Punjabi, and LN Tallur. The platform also includes compelling narratives built around Bollywood and short films that provide intimate glimpses into the lives of the featured artists. Interactive puzzles based on iconic artworks like Universe by SH Raza and The Lotus Sellers by NS Bendre make art appreciation playful and engaging, while a digital lamp lighting experience offers travellers a meaningful pause. The Cumulus system allows passengers to explore MAP's digitised collection in detail, enabling search, zoom, and personal curation. At the international terminal, the partnership is marked by an exhibition titled 'Bhuri Bai: My Life as an Artist', spotlighting the life and works of Padma Shri Bhuri Bai. Commissioned by MAP, the exhibition features autobiographical pieces, early works from the 1980s, and large-scale recent creations, providing a compelling narrative of her journey as a contemporary artist. Hari Marar, MD and CEO of Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), said: "Our collaboration with MAP aims to transform T2 into a vibrant hub of discovery and engagement. By bringing art into the passenger journey in such an accessible and interactive way, we hope to offer travellers moments of pause, inspiration, and reflection." Abhishek Poddar, founder of MAP, added that the partnership underscores the museum's belief in the transformative power of art. "With this unique partnership with BIAL, MAP hopes to take art appreciation and awareness to a wider audience, thereby creating a new wave of interest and engagement in South Asian art and culture," he said.
