Ten-day training programme on exquisite Gond Art in city

Mysore:  Each piece of art work is unique, imaginative, vibrant and mystical with vivid colours while the key patterns of the art are small dots and dashes with striking depiction of scenes inspired by nature, Gods and Goddesses, flora and fauna.  All these are being showcased at Wellington House on Irwin Road in city till June 6.

This is a 10-day Museum Education Programme on Traditional Gond Painting of Madhya Pradesh under ‘Do & Learn’ series organised by Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Southern Regional Centre.

Gond Art is a unique art form of the Gonds, one of the largest tribes in Central India, specifically in Madhya Pradesh. Contemporary tribal artist of international fame, Ram Singh Urveti along with his wife, Satrupa, is conducting this training programme.

‘Themes like Gods, animals, birds and trees are the key feature of Gond Art. This traditional legacy passed on from one generation to another in their tribal hamlets is well-known in art circles across the world.  Gonds have primarily settled in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in large numbers, opined J. Vijay Mohan, Officer in-charge for IGRMS.

“In earlier days, this art form was confined to the walls of their tribal hamlet, which was on the verge of extinction. But now, the art has found new life due to commercial value. Earlier, they used only natural colours but the main themes still remain nature and its constituent elements including rich tradition and culture of Gond tribals and now due to rising demand worldwide, many young artists have come forward and are reviving this unique art,” he said.

Born in the village of Patangarh in the Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh in 1970, Ram Singh Urveti, who now resides in Bhopal, has travelled a long distance to reach the place of an acclaimed artist, both in India and abroad.

“As part of our tribal tradition, my ancestors used to draw this art on the walls of our households. We are now making a living out of this by displaying this on both larger canvas and smaller ones like greeting cards. I am really proud to represent this great tribal tradition,” said Ram Singh Urveti.

One of the participants, Leela Venkatesh from Gokulam said, “I am very interested in learning different traditional art forms. Gond art is a beautiful tribal art which brings us close to nature and a delight to our mind, so I recommend it to anyone who is interested in art.”

Another participant, Ruparaj from Siddarthanagar said, “As an avid naturalist interested in conservation, I feel Gond art is a symbol of their love of nature, the subject which is mainly depicted in their paintings. Even though one cannot learn much in a 10-day course, it definitely serves as a beginners guide.”

“Nobody teaches this art form here in Mysuru like any other forms so I am making use of this opportunity,” said a ninth standard student, Praful of Saraswathipuram. For details, call Ph: 0821-2448231.