in the western parts of state of Madhya Pradesh, and in Gujarat.The Gond tribe inhabits parts of Madhya Pradesh ,Chattisgarh ,Andra Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra. These regions are rich in cultural heritage and have distinct arts and crafts that need to be showcased… I have been working with the various tribes from Madhya Pradesh to promote them nationally and internationally.

Monday, September 2, 2019

The Legacy Project

Seagrams Hundred Pipers

In July 2019, I was approached by Ogilvy and Mather to coordinate for packaging designs for Hundred Piper Whisky bottles and canisters.’ The Legacy Project’ is a venture of the Seagrams 100 Pipers to salvage and promote dying traditional art forms of India. The philosophy behind this project is ” Be remembered for good”.The project aims to promote various artists thus giving them an international platform they deserve. It was an interesting project as it involved working on promoting dying art forms of India. It allowed me to work with the artists and art forms that were barely known in our country. We were to collaborate with artists from north, south, east, west and centre of India. The challenge was the timeline. To have 12 designs of 12 different art forms in 3 weeks was a herculean task. We finally mutually decided to conduct a seven-day workshop in Bhopal and invite the artists to create their designs during the workshop. We invited about 10 artists from different regions Tribal Art of India. Artists from Bengal (kalighat, Patua), Orissa(patachitra), Andhra(Cheriyal)Himachal (Kangra), Rajasthan(Pichwai), Gujarat(Mata ni Pachedi), Madhya Pradesh(Bhil, Gond, Mandana).Six of the art forms were finalised for the packaging designs. The depictions of each artwork were the interpretation of the philosophy “Be Remembered for Good”by each artist.

The finalist whose designs were to be on the packaging was from Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra. The art forms that made it into the final round were, Gond, Bhil, Cheriyal, Kalighat, Patua and Mata ni Pachedi.

The Final Packaging Design

GOND – DURGABAI VYAM

The most striking feature of Durga Bai’s paintings is their ability to tell a story. Each painting has a story — the stories that Durga Bai heard as a child are now translated into images in brilliant flamboyant colours. Her forms are mostly drawn from the pantheon of the Gond Pradhan community. She uses the motif of paddy seeds to infill the forms in her paintings. She has illustrated two children’s books published by Tara publications called. In 2008 she and two other Gond artists, Ram Singh Urveti and Bhajju Shyam were presented the Bologna Ragazzi Award in Italy for their illustrations in the children’s book, The Night Life of Trees, published by Tara Publishing. Durga Bai was also awarded the IGNCA Scholarship for 2006-2007.

CHERIYAL- SAI KIRAN

Dhanloka Sai Kiran Verma is a State awardee and master craftsman for Cheriyal paintings and masks, He completed his graduation in Fine Arts at Venkateshwara College of Fine arts Madhapur. After which he decided to carry forward the family tradition of Cheriyal paintings. He has participated in many exhibitions in India and abroad and also conducted many workshops.

BHIL- SHANTA BARIYA

Shanta is the daughter of the well known Bhil artist Bhuribai. She learnt this art whilst helping her mother to fill in the dots. Shanta was married at an early age and lived in the village for many years. It was only after she moved to Bhopal she started pursuing this art.She has participated in many exhibitions. Recently, she was invited to France for a month-long event to showcase her art.

KALIGHAT- SANUYAR CHITRAKAR

Shanuyar Is a Kalighat painting artist, he learnt this art from his father. Before he and his siblings were born, his father made statues in Kolkatta during Durga Puja. He has 4 brothers and 2 sisters. It was a large family and they all lived in utter poverty. Since the demand for making the statues of goddess Durga was an annual event, his father started to make Patachitra for additional income. He would go village to village singing the stories along with the scroll patachitras. He was given rice, some money and puffed rice in return. Shanuyar and his siblings could not afford to go to school. Shanuyar started painting at the age of 7 with his father. He sat next to his father and made exact replicas of this fathers painting. This is how he got initiated into this art. His father often guided him to paint. Shanuyar wanted to make a difference, he wanted to create his style, so he mixed Kalighat and the Medinapur style of Patua and showed it to his father. His father was very pleased with the outcome and encouraged Shanuyar to pursue this newfound Kalighat Patachitra style. Shanuyar participated at Rajya Hastkala Mela in Kolkatta and was very happy with the response. He even sold a few paintings.

The Celebration

Holika Dahan – It is believed that all sorts of fear can be conquered by doing Holika Puja on Holi. Holika Puja bestows power, prosperity and wealth. Days before the festival people start gathering wood and uple ( Cow dung cakes) and other combustible materials for the bonfire in parks, community centres, near temples and other open spaces. The place where Holika is kept is rinsed with cow dung and the holy water of river. A wooden pole is kept in the center and surrounded with beads or garlands of toys made of cow dung which are popularly known as Gulari, Bharbholiye Tribal Art or Badkula. Holika pile is decorated with shields, swords, sun, moon, stars and other toys made of cow dung. Idols of Holika and Prahlada usually made of cow dung are placed on the top of the heap.

During Holika Dahan, the idol of Prahlada is taken out. Also, four beads of cow dung are kept safe before the bonfire. One is kept safe in the name of ancestors, second in the name of God Hanuman, third in name of Goddess Sheetala and fourth in the name of the family. On top of the pyre is an effigy to signify Holika who tricked Prahalad into the fire. On the eve of Holi, typically at or after sunset, the pyre is lit, signifying Holika Dahan. The ritual symbolizes the victory of good over evil. People sing and dance around the fire. People also

(Painting by Gond artist Venkat Raman Singh Shyam)

(A Gond artwork by artist Suresh Kumar Dhurve)

Though Gond art has been around for hundreds of years, it was only in the 1980’s that the art form gained much-deserved recognition and fame, through the discovery of Jangarh Singh Shyam, a Gond farmer and artist whose artworks received international acclaim and took him to New Delhi, New York, Paris and Tokyo for exhibitions and shows.

(Jangarh Singh Shyam (centre) with wife Nankusiya, and Indian painter J. Swaminathan. Image source: aaa.org.hk)

Shyam’s artistic brilliance was renowned. He was the first Gond artist to use acrylic on paper and canvas for his paintings, creating the school which is now known as ‘Jangarh Kalam’. His 1988 creation, Landscape gond painting with Spider, sold for $31,250 at a 2010 Sotheby’s auction, the first for an Adivasi artist.

(Landscape with Spider by Jangarh Singh Shyam, 1988. Image source: Sotheby’s)

(The interiors of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, painted by Jangarh Singh Shyam. Image source: jangarh-singh-shyam.blogspot.in)

Today, the late artist’s immediate and extended family members are renowned Gond artists themselves. Though trained by Jangarh Singh Shyam, each of these artists – Nankusiya Shyam (his wife), Japani Shyam and Mayank Shyam (his children) and other family members such as Venkat Singh Shyam, Subhash Vyam, Bhajju Shyam and Durga Bai, have their own distinct artistic styles, striving to keep their traditions alive.

(‘Swarn Hiran’ by Nankusiya Shyam, wife of Jangarh Singh Shyam)

(Gond painting by Jangarh Singh Shyam’s daughter, Japani Shyam)

(An artwork by renowned Gond artist Subhash Vyam)

(Sukhnandi Vyam Pardhan, nephew of Jangarh Singh Shyam, using acrylics on canvas to create a Gond painting. Source: Mid Day)

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