India has been a center of a variety of cultures and traditions, and each place has its own identity of culture which gives birth to various traditions and art forms – Gond art. Gond art originates from the center of India and was practiced by the Gond tribe of the state of Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra, and other neighboring states 

This art form is known for its intricate patterns, vibrant colors, and depiction of nature and mythology. Gond art in earlier times was an expression that was used to express the feelings of belonging to the natural and supernatural world.

Gond art is now a popular art form valued across the world and people use this art form to decorate their houses across the world.

Decorate your house with gond art here –

Gond Art – Origin and history 

Gond art originated in the regions of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra of India. It has deep cultural roots which date back to almost 1400 years ago. People used this art form to decorate their walls with lines and dots and they used natural bright colors to decorate their walls.

This was done to express their feelings of faith, reverence, and a sense of belonging. They used to decorate their walls with gond art during festivals, rituals, and important events to invoke good fortune.

The Gonds had a rich oral tradition, they used art as a medium for narrating their folk tales, myths, and legends. And their paintings always depicted gods, animals, trees, and the elements of nature, intertwined with the daily life and beliefs of the tribe.

Check out a few paintings here – 

Paintings and Patterns

Gond Art has its characteristics, you can identify one by its intricate patterns such as dots, lines, and dashes, which fill the shapes and create a sense of movement and rhythm. It was usually done by mostly women on special occasions.

Earlier The artists used to extract natural colors from different sources like soil, charcoal, plant sap, leaves, and cow dung. But now modern artists are using more synthetic colors to make the paintings more vibrant.

The artists of this art form had a fixed theme in which they used to play themes including flora and fauna, tribal deities, and scenes from daily life. The paintings often have a whimsical and surreal quality, with stylized and exaggerated forms.

Learn more about Gond art here – 

Evolution of Gond Art

The Gond tribe used to paint these paintings on mud walls and used natural colors to color these walls. But after modernization in the art form, it has transitioned to paper and canvas which has made it more popular and making it accessible to a wider audience who represents this art form. 

To make this art form more popular many cultural institutes and many individual artists have worked for its revival and increased appreciation of Gond art. Artists like Jangarh Singh Shyam have played a pivotal role in the appreciation of Gond art in the national and international space.

More about Jangarh Singh Shyam here –

Today, Gond art is not used just for cultural expression but also a source of livelihood for many Gond artists who sell their work in art galleries and exhibitions worldwide.

If you want to know more about the evolution of Gond art here –