The origins of Gond art can be traced back to the same era as the origin of Gonds themselves, which is roughly around 2000 years ago. The Gond art paintings seem to be inspired by the ancestors living in the region of the Deccan Plateau during the Mesolithic Period, wherein the culture of cave paintings prolifically existed.
The Gond tribe, the largest in Central India, gets its name from the word "Konda, "which means "green mountain."The Gonds used to rule the region until the 14th century, after which the Muslim armies conquered and the people were forced to flee into the thick jungles and have since been living in the jungles of Andhra Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Western Odisha.
Most of the Gond Indian tribal art paintings have elements of nature in them. The Gond belief system of Madhya Pradesh is that every hill, river, lake, tree, and rock is inhabited by a spirit and is, therefore, sacred. The same idea is translated into the Adivasi art paintings. Additionally, the colours used in the Gond tribal art paintings are also natural and derived from charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, leaves, cow dung, etc.
The beautiful dotted and dashed paintings have been an age-old method to both decorate the walls and floors of Gond houses as well as preserve Gond art history for the people belonging to the tribe. They are also a means to record and pass on historical knowledge and teachings to the coming generations of the Gond tribe. The Gonds also have a tradition of painting their huts and houses during important Hindu festivals and keeping alive the traditional tribal art.
Not much is known, precisely, about Adivasi tribal art before the 1980s, as the artwork of the people remained on the insides of the jungles and the outside world remained alien to it.
However, in the same year, the director of Bharat Bhavan Museum, J Swaminathan, decided to exhibit tribal as well as urban art together. Thus, in order to find the artists of the tribal art, he sent some of his students to various nearby districts. His mission was accomplished when his students were able to bring to his notice the Pradhan of the Gond Tribal Art of Madhya Pradesh, Jangarh Singh Shyam. They met him when they saw a Gond Art painting of Hanuman on one of the houses in his village.
Jangarh Singh Shyam was the first tribal artist who used canvas and paper in his artworks, as before that, Gond Tribal Art has always been carved on walls and floors for decoration with natural colours. Since then, Gond Art has started evolving in the modern world and has found its place in different art forms across the globe.
Ancestral History of the Gond Tribal Art
It has been a tradition in India that many art forms are passed on from one generation of the family to the next. Similarly, the Adivasi Tribal Art has also been passed on to the generations of Jangarh Singh Shyam, the first pradhan of the Gond Tribal Art. Although Jangarh Singh Shyam only lived for 40 years, he made sure to keep the Gond Tribal Art alive forever by mentoring his wife, children, and other family members who carry this lineage forward with pride.
Flourishing colours of the Folk and Tribal Art of India
Gond Tribal Art is majorly dominated by bright natural colours, especially red, blue, yellow, and white. The beauty of this age-old Gond art is that its colours are derived from nature’s elements like coloured soil, charcoal, leaves, flowers etc. However, with changing times, this extraordinary work of Gond art has evolved too. It’s no longer drawn on floors and walls; the artists now use canvas to portray this beautiful piece of art, using poster colours along with other artificial paints. This change has helped the Gond artists of Gond Tribal Art prosper more in the modern world.
Using canvas as a means of portrayal, they have gained mobility and have extra vibrancy with the usage of artificial colours. The flora and fauna depicted in the Gond Art paintings have been transformed into contemporary styles with lighter shades and pastel colours, something that wasn’t very popular in the early stages of the birth of Gond tribal art.
Detailed Design of the Gond Art of Madhya Pradesh
What makes Gond art stand out from the other traditional art forms of India is that its vivid shapes add a sense of movement to the paintings, making them look true to life. The dots and dashes, along with their borders, are crafted in such a way that they immediately grab the attention of the viewer. It is also inclusive of geometric shapes and patterns like fish scales, water droplets, and plant seeds that add to Gond Art paintings’ exquisite brilliance. Another beauty of tribal art paintings is that, with strokes and curves, they establish a sense of gesture, giving them a touch of reality. It’s so unique that some modern-day artists refer to it as "online art."
It is also believed by modern artisans that the Gond art of Madhya Pradesh has incredible potential to make its roots stronger in India and across nations. Even in today’s time, this art is widely found in everyday products like wooden furniture, trays, bags, etc. and with changing times, Gond art can evolve to become a part of more fashion trends like apparel of rich fabric designed by popular designers.
From the origin of Gond art till today, it is due to the great efforts of Jangarh Singh Shyam that Gond art has survived amongst us all and will continue to survive along with his learned family lineage that continues to practise this exquisite form of art even after the demise of Jayant Singh Shayam. This art is traditional, imaginative, mystical, and true to aesthetics with the ability to express the language of its tribe, showcasing the reflection of India’s artistic heritage. The exceptional and unusual Gond art, which was born with the belief that it would bring good luck, continues to thrive and evolve. Such is the power of the age-old folk art of Madhya Pradesh.
