The Gond tribal community is one of central India's largest indigenous communities and their art is an expression of their everyday quest for life. The Gond art reflects the belief that "viewing a good image begets good luck". This inherent belief led the Gonds to decorating their houses and the floors with traditional tattoos and motifs. However, Gondi art has since transposed onto paper and canvass with talented artists showcasing their skills. Language of the soul is expressed in the brilliant hues of Gondi art. The signature styles are the essence of this tribal art form and are intrinsically used to fill the surface of their decorative patterns and motifs. The allusiveness and individualism of each Gond artist is defined by these signature styles.
The fine lines, dots and dashes of traditional Gond Pradhan motifs were introduced to the world by the late painter J. Swaminathan, who discovered a talented seventeen year old Jangarh Singh Shyam decorating the huts of Patangarh in Madhya Pradesh. Jangarh's meteoric rise to fame was marked by his acclaimed exhibitions in Paris and Tokyo and ended on a tragic note with his suicide. The legacy of Jangarh is captured in the artistic brilliance and creativity of his family who he had mentored in this traditional art form, and thus came about the resurgence of a whole new generation of Shyams.
