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Journalism of Courage
The traditional vocabulary of Gond art, once a storyteller’s form, has long traversed the walls of the indigenous villages in central India. The intricate lines, dots and dashes, intercepted by brilliant hues, bring to the fore not just stories depicted through them but also a wave of emotions.
“It used to be all about stories that surrounded the artist — be it nature, village life or mythology. There was usually a basic digna (geometric pattern) and the artists aimed for it to look beautiful. Over the years, new themes have emerged,” says Roshni Vyam, 21. The student from NIFT, Bangalore, is a Gond artist. In the Capital, Vyam is one of the three Gond artists showing her works at Ojas Art in an exhibition titled “Satrangi – A Gond Expression”.
She is one of the recipients of the Ojas Art Award, founded by Anubhav Nath, director of Ojas Art, in partnership with Zee Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) and Teamworks Art. The award was inaugurated at JLF, this year, with the aim of exploring tribal and traditional art forms and works of up-and-coming artists. While Vyam explores her emotions through a range of subjects from her immediate surroundings, Venkat Shyam from Satpura, brings to his works his love for oral tradition and nature.
The most recognised face, however, is Bhajju Shyam, 44, who hails from Patangarh, Madhya Pradesh, and is known for giving a global voice to the art form. He brings to the gallery his Kafka-esque style that merges nature with mythology. Next year, Nath reveals, the focus will shift to Mithila and Madhubani.
pallavi.pundir@expressindia.com
