BHAJJU SHYAM'S TREES

Artist Bhajju Shyam was happy to be among the list of Padma Shri awardees announced on the Republic Day 2018 . Bhajju’s paintings on large imperial size sheets of paper/canvas celebrate the flora and fauna and the synergy of co-existence. He has kept indigenous Gond art alive by retelling his stories and reinventing his arsenal of elements and juxtaposing multiple imageries.

Widely travelled, the 51-year-old is more than just a Gond artist. He is also the illustrator and author of the famous?London Jungle Book?(Tara Books) published in five languages for children. The hard working humble artist is known for quirky, upbeat, eco-conscious compositions that breathe tales of vitality and vigour. After taking up odd jobs as a security guard and getting fired for falling asleep on duty, he was called by an uncle who sold paintings to ‘foreigners’. This uncle was the late Jangarh Singh Shyam.

“I used to help my uncle,” says Bhajju. “I would fill in the colours and patterns after he did the main drawings. Then when he saw my love for doing the work he encouraged me to do works. During an exhibition in Delhi, he sold five of my paintings for ? 1,200.”

After that he was invited to Paris in 1998 for a tribal art exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, and in 2001 curator Rajeev Sethi sent him to paint a mural on the walls of a restaurant in London. “And the experiences swam like a story in my head, ” he recalls.

Shyam’s work has been exhibited at galleries and museums around the world, including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, Galleria Arteutopia, Milan and the Museum of London, London. Shyam has also published several books including the award winning book The London Jungle Book which was published in 2004 and translated into Italian, Dutch, French, Korean and Portuguese. Shyam was the first Gond artist to work with the St+art India Foundation, painting a mural in the Lodhi Art District, New Delhi. In 2018, Shyam hails amongst the youngest artists in India to be??awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions to Indian art all over the world.

Van Katha exemplifies his love for his tradition and his brilliance in creating works that celebrate ecological echoes in indigenous arts and practices.As a curator it is an honour to curate at Aakriti Art Gallery.My gratitude to Vikram Bachawat and his wonderful team.