Jangarh Kalam from Patangarh Continued': an exhibit in memory of a Gond artist at Delhi's Triveni Kala Sangam

Indian Express

10-07-2025

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.