Jangarh Kalam : the legacy and revolution of the pradhan gond school of art

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Pardhan Gond paintings represent a vibrant manifestation of the Pardhan Gond tribal communities in India, reflecting their daily experiences. Originating from the Pardhans, who were nomadic storytellers, these artists painted murals on mud walls and floors during festivities, narrating Gond heritage and mythology. Although rooted in tradition, the art has evolved, with contemporary Pardhan artists transitioning elements of Gond art onto paper and canvas since the 1980s. Characterized by larger geometric forms, intricately subdivided patterns of dots and dashes, Pardhan paintings consistently draw inspiration from the interconnectedness of the natural environment, particularly the forests near Gond villages.

Portrait of a Barasingha, Jangarh Singh Shyam, Mid-1980s,
Retrieved from MAP India website.

Jangarh Singh Shyam, a pioneering artist, revolutionized the Pardhan-Gond school of art, birthing the distinctive "Jangarh Kalam." Embraced by artists, writers, curators, and galleries, this term encapsulates the metamorphosis of Gond art. Initially rooted in ritualistic depictions on walls and floors, it underwent refinement under Jangarh's influence, transforming into an intricate tapestry of dots and dashes. Jangarh ingeniously employed lines of colored dots, drawing inspiration from Gond life's tattoo artistry.


An episode from the Pardhan myth of creation,
Jangarh Singh Shyam, 1997, Retrieved from MAP India website.
His techniques encompassed various elements, including "fields of dense cross-hatching, tightly drawn comb-lines, rows of tiny ovals, bands of dots, sometimes accompanied by narrow squiggles, and small irregular amoeba-like forms." Primary subjects of Jangarh's paintings are Gond deities like Thakur Dev, Bada Deo, Kalsahin Devi and others. He also depicts cutout-style portraits of animals. Tigers, deer, turtles and crocodiles crowd his canvases. 

In contrast to conventional painting traditions that often capture movement in a static manner, Jangarh Kalam artists, through their depictions of vegetation, animals, deities, and human figures, convey a sense of dynamic motion and flow. Jangarh not only introduced his extended family to artistic practices in his Bhopal studio but also turned his Professors Colony residence into a focal point for Pardhan Gond artists seeking guidance. This led to a migration of artists to the city, with Jangarh serving as a guiding influence. Some, such as Gangaram, Ram Kumar Shyam, and Sukhnandi Vyam, extended this distinctive style to the realm of sculpture.




The Story of the Tiger and the Boar. Jangarh Singh Shyam, 1994. 








Phulwari Devi, Jangarh Singh Shyam, 1990s,
Retrieved from MAP India website.

Written by - Sumit Das 


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