Consul General of France, Yves Perrin here on Monday inaugurated the new premises of Alliance Francaise de Bhopal at B-75, Shahpura. Perrin also inaugurated ‘Songs of the Forest’ exhibition of Gond paintings and sculptures.
While talking to the media persons, Alliance Francaise de Bhopal’s publicity officer Subhor Dubey told that the idea of the exhibition is to showcase Gond artifacts like paintings, sculptures, books and film. The sculptors are made by Sukhanandi Vyam and Gangaram Vyam. A short movie about evolution of Gond art ‘Mythical reflections’ produced by Vanya Prakashan, Bhopal and directed by Samrat Singh and Abhinav Dwivedi was also displayed. A preview of the book based on Gond folklore ‘l'elephant volant’ written by Padmaja Srivastava and illustrated by Rajendra Shyam was also discussed during the programme.
Dubey further told that the Gond tribal community is one of central India's largest indigenous communities. Their traditional wall paintings have now been transposed onto paper and canvas with talented artists showcasing their skills. The signature styles are the essence of this tribal art form. The individualism of each Gond artist is defined by these signature styles. The fine lines, dots and dashes were introduced to the world by the late painter J Swaminathan, who discovered a talented seventeen year old Jangarh Singh Shyam decorating the huts of Patangarh in Madhya Pradesh. Jangarh's meteoric rise to fame was marked by his acclaimed exhibitions in Paris and Tokyo and ended on a tragic note with his suicide, she added.
Dubey further added that the legacy of Jangarh is carried forward by a whole new generation of Shyams. The colorful world they paint seems to have found connect in other countries especially in France. Series of exhibitions and workshops are being held in different parts of France.