‘Jangarh Kalam from Patangarh Continued’ on exhibit at Triveni Kala Sangam

Patangarh — a village in Madhya Pradesh home to many talented Gond artists — was the place where artist-anthropologist J Swaminathan at Bharat Bhavan discovered the late Jangarh Singh Shyam. Now, 30 original artworks (out of a collection of a total of 50 works) created by 18 Gond artists in the stylistic genre pioneered by Jangarh, are on view at the Triveni Kala Sangam from June 30 to July 10.

Jangarh’s style, named the “Jangarh Kalam” — in the early eighties, encouraged and inspired Jangarh, a community singer, to paint. The imagination transformed from musical to visual. While the Gonds were not known for their art, Jangarh gave birth to a new art. His work, characterized by meticulous dotting, fine line work, and the use of vivid colors, depicts fantastical beings, deities, flora, and fauna.

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The landmark group exhibition titled “Jangarh Kalam – Continuing in Patangarh” is organized by the Raza Foundation, in association with Triveni Kala Sangam and supported by Progressive Art Gallery, and is open to all.

“Gond art occupies a unique and compelling space within the broader category of Indian tribal art. While tribal art across India has often been viewed through an ethnographic or anthropological lens, Gond art has transcended that categorization. It is one of the few tribal art forms that successfully made the transition from walls and floors of village homes to the walls of urban galleries and museums.

“Through this exhibition, we witness not merely the legacy of a singular artist but the sustained evolution of a genre that has resisted marginalisation, embraced innovation, and anchored itself in both community and contemporary discourse,” explained Harsh Vardhan Singh, the Director of Progressive Art Gallery — the gallery that has acquired the entire collection in support of Gond art form.

The show will also travel to PAG’s Dubai gallery space.

“This show is more than a commemoration. A refusal to let tribal voices be relegated to the

footnotes of art history. A gesture of respect to the genius that rises from villages. A long- overdue recognition that art is not only created in studios and academies but also forests, shrines, and homes without electricity,” added Harsh Vardhan Singh.

]The participating Gond artists include Champi Bai, Chitrakant Shyam, Dhani Shyam, Kishan Uikey, Kunti Shyam, Menka Shyam, Nakul Pusham, Pankaj Urvety, Phoolchand Dhurve, Rahul Shyam, Rajesh Shyam, Ram Kumar Shyam, Sahdev Pusham, Shobha Rani, Sunil Shyam, Sushma Shyam, Tamshiram Paraste and Vijay Uikey — many of whom trace their stylistic lineage and artistic vocabulary directly to the late master.

While Shyam passed away in 2001, his artistic legacy lives on among his family members, disciples, and inspired artists from the Gond heartland.

“Jangarh Singh Shyam’s rise from a community singer and occasional painter to a global artist opened the gates for tribal art to be received not as mere craft but as an equal voice in contemporary visual culture,” said Ashok Vajpeyi, Managing Trustee, Raza Foundation.

Today, Gond art witnesses a growing audience and market, and indigenous art has begun to claim space in serious collections, exhibitions, and biennales. The support lent by PAG to these ventures is essential to bring local art forms to the national and international stage.