The diverse nature of these communities has had an impact on many art genres, including folk and tribal art. Some of the most well-known tribal art types in India are Warli, Gond, Bhil art from Madhya Pradesh, Santhal art, Madhubani paintings from Bihar, Pithoro paintings from Gujarat, and Saora paintings from Odisha. Many art styles, including folk and tribal art, have impacted traditional Indian arts and crafts. While many are known around the world, Gond Adivasi Chitrakala deserves special mention. These tribal art forms are ethnic in nature and are primarily practiced tribal art forms are ethnic in nature and are primarily practiced by tribe members. They feature distinct, colourful motifs that frequently portray tales and traditions from their culture, traditions, and beliefs. I’m going to talk about Gond tribal art from India.

The word Gond is derived from ‘Kond’, which means green mountains, and tribal people are known as Gondis since they primarily live in Madhya Pradesh’s beautiful green mountains. While Gond art has a long history dating back to nearly 2,000 years ago. This indigenous art form’s popularity stems from its uncanny depiction of nature and culture through abstract themes, vibrant colours, and meticulous details. Gond Adivasis are thought to be gifted with the capacity to express their creativity via arts and crafts. While travelling to Mandla, I learnt that the Gonds are one of the world’s largest tribal tribes. They are not only found in Madhya Pradesh but also in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Odisha. The tribe thinks that seeing a positive and pleasant image offers them good luck and optimism. They believe that gods dominate the earth, sea, and air. Most celebrations feature music and dances to commemorate natural disasters and gods. Dances, such as those performed by Dandari performers, can retell folklore events. The art began as wall decorations for the Gond people’s mud dwellings. The late Jangarh Singh Shyam is regarded as a pioneer of Gond art, having brought the art style to international prominence. By the 1980s his Gond artworks had been presented in numerous national and international galleries. He was from Patangarh. Bhajju Shyam, regarded as the first Gond artist and Padmashree awardee, began his studies as a kid under the late Jangarh Singh Shyam.

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Themes in Gond paintings

The themes and motifs of Gond painting are drawn from local flora and fauna, deities and urban culture. The theme of paintings is mostly drawn from folktales and Gond mythology; therefore, these paintings are not mere decorations but also instant expressions of their religious sentiments and devotions. Gond paintings portray the Pradhan Gond community’s culture, traditions, folklore, and daily life in Patangarh village, Madhya Pradesh.

Gond paintings mainly depict the following subjects:

As forest residents, the community is inextricably linked with nature, which is eventually expressed through exquisite art creations. Nature, including pictures of peacocks, birds, crabs, mythical beasts, lizards, lions, tigers, deer, snakes, wild boars, cows, monkeys, elephants, horses, fish, horses, birds, tortoises, etc.

It is not only prominent in their art but also regarded as auspicious by the Gond society, from Dumar to Babul tree. Mahua Tree as Tree of Life. Mahua flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves are used for many purposes by the Gond tribe.

Myths, legends, and aspects of the daily life of Gond people. It is interesting to note that, unlike Hindu gods and goddesses, deities depicted in Gond paintings are not characterised by a definite form but are placed beneath a tree with a painted stone.

Hindu gods such as Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, Lord Ganesha, Phulvari Devi (Kali), Jalharin Devi (River Goddess), Marahi Devi, etc.

Members of the Pradhan community, a subgroup of Gonds, are thought to be the art form’s flag bearers. They were also thought to be storytellers, which is why many Gond paintings depict mythological stories/figures and historical events related to their culture.

The central theme of Gond paintings is nature. Gond artists portray nature in various ways in paintings. Objects like charcoal, coloured dirt, plant sap, leaves, and even cow dung are used to create the colours. Paintings are created by layering dots in upward, downward, and sideways directions to generate final images. The present-day Gond paintings have evolved from Digna and Bhittichitra.

Digna is a traditional geometric pattern on the walls and floors of the houses.

Bhittichitra is painted on the walls of houses, and these paintings include images of animals, plants and trees.

Use of vivid colours and their natural sources are mentioned below.

Black: Black colour is made from charcoal.

Yellow: Yellow colour is made from Ramraj soil.

White: White colour is made from chui soil.

Red: The red colour is obtained from geru soil.

Green: Light green colour is made from cow dung, and dark green colour is made from bean leaves.

Gond artists are now using synthetic colours such as acrylic colours, poster colours, and oil paints as they are readily available in the market.

Each Gond artist uses his own distinctive pattern and style to fill the images. These distinctive patterns are called signature patterns. Some of the patterns used in Gond paintings are:

Dots

Fine lines

Curved lines

Dashes

Fish scales

Drops of water

Seed shapes

Geometrical shapes, etc.

Products made with Gond painting

Artisans produce a wide range of hand-painted goods, including:

Paintings

Wall art

Sarees

Kurtis, dupattas and stoles

Handbags

Trays boxes

Coasters

Home décor

From then till now

While Gond art has a long history, modern artists are giving it a modern twist. Modern forms of Gond art include vibrant topics or objects that appear to be in motion, such as cars, aeroplanes and ancient architecture. Artists like Japani Shyam, Rajender Shyam, Mayank Shyam and Bhajju Shyam have garnered international reputations for their ability to integrate modernism with the tribal character of Gond art. Most Gond painters have transitioned from painting on mud walls to canvas. Artists have begun to replace charcoal, mud, and vegetable colours with acrylic, modernising the patterns while using traditional motifs. Initially, traditional motifs did not include human forms, but artists have begun to paint faces in Adivasi traditions.

Authorities took the following steps:

The iconic Gond paintings earned a GI tag in April 2023, marking an important milestone in the art form’s history. With the assistance of the authorities and the execution of programs such as the National Rural Livelihood Mission and the National Urban Livelihood Mission, Gond artists are now able to provide a sufficient income for their families. The Madhya Pradesh government established Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, which has since become one of the country’s most important art centres and museums. Tourists enjoy the beautiful Gond paintings on display at the Bhavan.

A Gond painting can sell for anything from a thousand rupees to millions of rupees, depending on the complexity of the piece and the materials utilised. It’s fascinating to follow the evolution of the art form from village walls and mud dwellings to international galleries and the global art market.

Exhibitions promoting the art rich with a blend of colour, patterns, mystery and humour, these tribal artworks brilliantly depict the premodern psyche. There have been even exhibitions of Gond paintings, thereby granting a strong platform for these artists to showcase their creativity via these paintings. Other than this, the popularity of these paintings has been to an extent that the artists also receive orders from abroad countries.

Visit Patangarh village in Madhya Pradesh to see these beauties being created by the Gond community.