Belonging to one of the largest tribes in India, Jangarh Singh Shyam is the Pradhan of the Gond tribe and well known for his vibrant Gond Art.
Every single art piece of his narrates an intriguing story. As history says, Jangarh Singh Shyam was the one to set the foundation of the Gond Art of Madhya Pradesh. He devoted his entire life to Gond Art and passed on the legacy by mentoring his children.His roots belong to Pantangarh, Madhya Pradesh, but his Gond art talent took him across the globe.
He was the first Gond Artist to use acrylic on paper and canvas, thus changing the history of Adivasi tribal art. Although his life span was not too long, he still aimed and managed to open a new school of Indian contemporary art called the ‘Jangarh Kalam.’
Childhood of Jangarh Singh Shyam
Born in 1962 in the Mandla District of Madhya Pradesh, Jangarh Singh Shyam’s family was poverty-stricken his entire childhood and had to quit school at a very early age so that he could start earning for the family. He got into farming to help his household and was also married at the age of 16 to Nankusia Bai.
It was also during his teenage years that Jangarh Singh Shyam’s talent was discovered by Jagdish Swaminathan when he was in search of new talents. That is when Jangarh Singh Shaym’s true journey began and he took his first step to set up the foundation of Gond Tribal Art in India and across nations.
Jagdish Swaminathan decided to mentor him and took him to his renowned multi-arts complex, Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal. He trained him there. Jangarh Singh Shyam curated murals and painted the walls of Bharat Bhawan. Under the training of Jagdish Swaminathan, Jangarh Singh Shyam flourished even more as an artist and explored more about Gond Tribal Art, while also pushing some boundaries to add a modern touch to the age-old art.
What made his art distinctive was that it was a mix of conventional as well as new explorations that he made during his career at Bharat Bhawan. He learnt how to take care of numerous intricacies while using bright colours and unconventional textures. It also has precisely drawn dots, dashes, and waves. Something that makes his Gond artworks look like they have a sense of movement and are true to life. His artworks are majorly popular for his brilliant curation of dynamic paintings of gods and goddesses, birds, animals, and trees.
Some of his famous paintings also reveal the historic stories of Madhya Pradesh coupled with flora and fauna as well as Gond deities and demons. His paintings were a complete depiction of the kind of life the Gond lived and cherished.
It is also believed that Jangarh Singh Shyam thought that the gods, goddesses, or demons that he’d drawn in his paintings would one day gain real mystical powers and come after him. His paintings of these gods and goddesses were thought to be his imaginations because they had never been seen before.Some of the deities that he drew were Mehralin Mata, Raatmai, Phulvari Mata, Narayan Dev, and Bara Dev.
Some unknown facts about Jangarh Singh Shyam are that he was not only an outstanding painter, but his inclination towards art in general, made him play many other artistic roles. He was a good singer and also liked to play the flute and participated in Ramleela, while playing the role of Ram in the same. Not only did he like to narrate stories through his paintings, but he also liked listening to them in any song or story-telling events.
In one of his paintings, he has also described how he would wait for his beloved, Nankusia sitting on the branch of a tree while playing flute.
Legacy and Career of Jangarh Singh Shyam
The reason why most Gond artists come from the Pradhan family of Jangarh Singh Shyam is that he inspired and encouraged them to pursue painting as their profession and meet their inner artist. Thus, his wife, children, and other extended family members carried forth this Adivasi Gond tribal art. This is what keeps tribal art alive and thriving.
Within five years of his training under Jagdish Swaminathan, Jangarh’s painting career had taken the high stride. In 1986, he was granted the Shikhar Samman Award, which is the highest civilian award from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Not just this, his artworks have been displayed all across the nation as well as abroad, which includes, Delhi, Bhopal, New York, and Tokyo. In 1989, his artworks were also displayed in one of the most famous exhibitions of Paris.
The Struggles and Untimely Death of Jangarh Singh Shyam
Jangarh Singh Shyam took his own life in 2001, when he was only 40 years old at an art residency at the Mithila Museum in Japan. Though the exact reason is still unknown, when he was in Japan, he wrote letters to his family in which he spoke of his loneliness. It is also said that he had certain struggles in life which he was going through, but there is no exact proof of the same.
This great Gond tribal artist may have lived only for a very short span of time, but he left a mark on this world and made it realise the value of true art and artists. Even when he was away from his hometown all his life after he discovered a career in Gond Art, some of his paintings spoke about his homeland and his journey so far. What makes him extra- ordinary as an artist is that he was capable of mentoring and passing on this artistic legacy of the Gond Tribal Art of Madhya Pradesh to his family members
With what Jangarh Singh Shyam has left behind, he will never die and will continue to live for time immemorial till his legacy takes him forward and he lives with this tradition of the Gond Tribal Art.
Folk art is all about speaking about our rich tradition, heritage and culture.
Single folk art can convey a thousand story.
Folk art has been a favourite among people since times immemorable.
They have a sense of story-telling, culture and traditions attached to them.
At IndianArtZone, we provide you with different Folk arts that speak volumes of our glory.
Buy Indian Folk art paintings unlimited collections of Folk art paintings, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Classical & Kathakali art forms of Indian traditional art at best price in India.
Folk art is all about speaking about our rich tradition, heritage and culture.
Single folk art can convey a thousand story.
At IndianArtZone, you get to meet experts who can craft these paintings with sheer expertise.
Buy Indian dance paintings unlimited collections of Folk art painting, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Classical & Kathakali art forms of Indian traditional art at best price in India.
BJain provides all Best Homeopathy Books related to organon books , organon of medicine , organon homeopathy books , organon of the medical art .
