Gond artist takes pride in the traditional art form

Gond Art is a traditional folk art form practiced by the Gond community of Madhya Pradesh, which is one of the largest tribal community in India. These paintings are created after laying down a series of lines, dots and dashes intricately, which gives these still images a sense of movement.

Traditionally, the Gond paintings were done on mud walls with colours extracted from natural materials like soil, charcoal, cow dung and leaves. The designs are based on the rituals and traditions practiced by the community. Nature is also a dominant theme as Gonds inhabited forests for centuries. Legend says that a good Gond painting also brings fortune.

With time, the art shifted to paper, canvas and artists started using poster colours. This way, the art was commercialised, and today the Gond paintings cost in the range of Rs 2,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh in the market.

Gareeba Singh Tekam, a Gond artist, explains to SMBStory about the art's origin and evolution over time. Despite facing financial hardships, Tekam takes great pride in the art and wants his children to pursue it as well.

(Video: Mohit Sabharwal)