An indigenous Gond artist, Venkat Raman Shyam Singh, was first recognised globally when his work was included in the historical exhibition Magiciens de la Terre in 1989. His work has been showcased in different parts of the world, and last month, the contemporary artist was in Auckland for a live mural art show where he painted a wall at the Old Fort restaurant in the city.

For the uninitiated, the Gonds are one of the largest tribes in Central India with a population of about four million and centred mainly in Madhya Pradesh. They paint their walls with colourful illustrations of local flora, fauna and their gods. Their paintings depict various celebrations, rituals and man’s relationship with nature and are traditionally done on festive occasions. The art form is created by putting dots and lines together, using natural colours made from leaves, plant sap, charcoal, coloured soil and cow dung, etc. The paintings are said to be a form of worship or offering to nature and to seek protection from evil.

In 2002, Venkat was awarded the Rajya Hasta Shilpa Puraskar by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. He was also the coordinator for Tara Douglas’s animated film on a Gond folktale that was awarded the Tallest Story Competition Trophy at the Inverness Film Festival, Scotland, in 2007.

We got a chance to speak to Venkat during his recent New Zealand visit and found out more about his struggles, the art and his passion towards it.

Early years and inspiration

Since a young age, Venkat has been drawing using charcoal and pencil. He found his first break in 1998 after working as a signboard painter for a long lime.

“Our tribe Gond hails from the village Gondwana in Madhya Pradesh. My uncle Jangarh Singh was a renowned Gond artist who painted the dome of Bharat Bhavan—the most prestigious museum of tribal art and he inspired me to learn this art form,” reveals Venkat.

Venkat’s uncle, Jangarh Singh—the famous Gond artist, took him to Bhopal in 1986 and trained him in his studio. While being his apprentice for three years, he started working as signboard painter and developed his figurative style.

“I could never finish my studies not even higher secondary but I researched and learnt about the people from different regions and countries and their viewpoints about the art. Initially, people weren’t ready to pay for my paintings as they used to say that even a child can do this. My family and I had to go through many financial troubles but we never gave up or lost hope.”

Venkat’s work

While Venkat’s painting style is heavily influenced by that of Jangarh Singh—also known as Jangarh Kalam—his response to contemporary world adds uniqueness to his murals.

For the 2000 millennial celebration of Khajuraho—one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites in India, Venkat produced greeting cards while working with the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts in Delhi.

His work has been exhibited at the American embassy in Delhi, National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai, Indira Gandhi National Museum of Mankind in Bhopal, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa among many more.

He also helped in producing imagery for an amination film for children by a Scottish Company—West Highland Animation.

Live mural art in Auckland

The Old Fort Bar and Eatery, Auckland, since its inception, has brought artists from India and New Zealand to give them a platform to showcase their talent.

Venkat was flown to Auckland by the restaurant to paint the blank wall at the restaurant.

Talking about his Auckland experience, he says, “It took me 15 days to paint the mural. It was a live mural, meaning the restaurant customers could see me painting while enjoying the lovely music and delicious food.

“These people invited me six months back to paint the blank wall of their restaurant. I was in Australia at that time. But I couldn’t come due to unavailability of visa at that time. They then told me their concept of five senses: hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste. They didn’t quite like the idea I gave them initially.

“Then I told them that I would be able to visualise it better when I am there. So after visiting the restaurant, I realised that the ambience and environment was a lot different than what I had thought. I had thought of it to be more western but it was a perfect fusion of Indian and western with more focus towards Indian-ness. I wanted to involve the Indian culture with the theme in the mural. Then I came up with the story of Karma.

“Working on a theme is a bit different and difficult. I have tried to paint using all my knowledge about the art.”

Venkat, who is now working towards strengthening the legacy of his tribe and its art and culture, feels satisfied by his work in Auckland and says that response his got from the audience further enhanced his satisfaction.

“When people praise my work it only motivates me to do better and better next time. My work was appreciated by both Indian and non-Indians. They said that they had never seen such an art. Hearing them say such great thing about the art and the work was truly a motivation.”

What lies ahead

Venkat wishes to promote and preserve the tribal art forms for the future generations and seeks support from the Indian communities.

“I want to promote this lost form of art. I am trying to open a school for the last ten years where I can teach not only the Gond painting but other art forms of the Gond community also. My idea was approved by officials but the Ministry has not been very helpful.

“It’s a dying art and is getting lost with time. I am fortunate enough to have this art and I want it to flourish for many more generations to come. I want to build such an organisation, be it in India or any part of the world, which would carry forward this legacy of our ancestors. It would not be just about painting but also wood carving, metal carving, drawing and other artworks. I want to build a platform for coming generations where they can learn and teach different art forms. Building such an organisation is not a small project and I would appreciate if the Indian communities from different parts of the world can come together to help make this dream a reality.”