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The Gond art form, attributed to the Pardhan Gond tribe from Madhya Pradesh in Central India, is rich in myth and symbolism about the spiritual connection of humans with nature. Elephant trunks transform into tree trunks and the proverbial Tree of Life links forests, animals and people. Gond artists create vibrant paintings using lines and dots with natural pigments and colours. It’s a strong visual language marrying a love of nature with culture.
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While the tribe has painted the walls of their homes forever, the artist that brought this art form to the consciousness of the contemporary art community was Jangarh Singh Shyam. He established what became known as the Jangarh Kalam, whose fiercest advocate is his daughter, Japani Shyam. However, she has carved her own artistic style within its confines.
I originally encountered Gond art while volunteering in villages in central India, and later became familiar with the works of the senior Shyam at Triveni Kala Sangam in Delhi. I was fascinated by what I saw, especially the unique relationship that Gond communities shared with the natural world.
Japani’s paintings depict the forest as a living cosmos where tigers, birds and trees flow into one another through rhythmic line and form. A work of hers that perfectly encapsulates her practice is of a tiger sitting under a tree. Moving away from the vivid hues of Gond art, this work uses muted earthy tones of greens and yellows. The painting is centered on a luscious tree providing shade to a tiger splayed out beneath it. Its expression, posture and form are distinct from the traditional expression of fauna in Gond art. Yet, the piece shares the same message – the importance of the coexistence of humans and nature. The composition of the tree with its curvilinear trunk, and the unique manner in which the tiger is seated beneath it, inspires me to create similar forms in my sketches and collages.
She also breaks from tradition by incorporating contemporary themes in her work. An earlier work of hers called ‘Shehari Jeevan’, brings a bustling city to life with tiny people going about their day in cramped apartments, roads inundated with traffic, and planes flying over high rise buildings. But here too, animals like cows and pigeons, as well as abundant trees find a place.
As a young person looking at Gond tribal art from an outsider’s perspective, I’m inspired by Japani’s reinterpretation of the traditional format of the Jangarh Kalam. Her talent was recognized early on, when she received the Kamala Devi Award in 1999 at the age of eleven. Yet, she chose to tread a different path from her father, as she grew as an artist. Usually, there is a lot going on in a single composition of Gond art. Japani’s work adopts a more minimalistic approach with clean backdrops, infusing the work with a modern sensibility.
Gond tribal art is also connected with Australian aboriginal art, most evident in the dashes, dots and vibrant colours used in both forms. These nations were part of the original Gondwana continent before the landmasses broke up, and it’s fascinating to see the same influences continue to exist over millennia through art. This timelessness inspires me to incorporate Gond elements into my own work. My time in central India, interacting with the Gond community, has deeply influenced my practice as a multi-media artist. We share the same message – to encourage people to reflect on the realities faced by communities living on the edge of the wilderness, as they balance tradition, survival and modern pressures.
Virenpratap Singh Bhaika from Chandigarh is a student of Fine Arts at Harrow School, London. His mixed-media work, spanning films, paintings, and collages, highlights the conflict between civilization and nature.
From HT Brunch, October 04, 2025
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