Let us introduce today a master artist of Gond art, who has been working on this art form for generations.
NAME: VENKAT RAMAN SINGH SHYAM
PAINTING STYLE: PRADHAN-GOND TRADITIONAL TRIBAL ART
EXHIBITIONS:
- Serendipity Art Festival, Panaji, Goa, December 15th to 22nd, 2024
- Indiyart, Viral Gatha, Bikaner House, New Delhi, December 1st to 4th, 2024
- “Art Mumbai,” Race Course, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai, November 14th to 17th, 2024
- “Beyond Traditions,” Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, June 12th to 17th, 2024
- “Geru,” an exhibition of vintage and contemporary art at Art Centrix Space, Jain Farms, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, April 18th, 2024
- “Mind’s Eyes,” International Art Exhibition, Bali, Indonesia, April 16th to 17th, 2014
- Group Show at Swiss Embassy, New Delhi, April 5th, 2024
- “Adi-Anandi,” solo show of paintings on the 42nd Bharat Bhavan anniversary, 2024, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
- Architecture and Design Biennale 2023 @IAADB2023 at Red Fort, Delhi, December 8th to 15th, 2023
- The Equal Project “Breakthrough’s,” a grand exhibition of hand-painted sculptures by India’s most eminent artists at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, June 22nd to 29th, 2023
- “Indiyart Exhibition” organized by Rooftop App at Bikaner House, New Delhi, September 16th to 19th, 2023
- Traditional & Folk Art Show at Kamlanayan Bajaj Hall & Art Gallery, Nariman Point, Mumbai, September 13th to 15th, 2023
- “Dialogues of Being: Prophecies, Rituals, and Memories of Everyday Life,” exhibition, LTC Bikaner House, New Delhi, June 23rd to 29th, 2023
- “Indian Arts Collective,” Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum, December 1st to 4th, 2022
- “Spirit of India,” Harrington Art Street, Hui Chi Sarani, Kolkata, November 29th to December 15th, 2022
- 12th International Art & Craft Festival, National Craft Museum, Bhairo Marg, New Delhi
- India Craft Week, NSIC Ground, Okhla, New Delhi, October 20th to 23rd, 2022
- “Spirit of India,” Mangalbaug Gallery, Piramal Garden, Ahmedabad, April 1st to 2nd, 2022
- Raza Parva, Alliance Française, Shahpura, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, April 10th, 2022
- “Coalescence,” exhibition of art and crafts at Bikaner House, New Delhi, February 23rd to 25th, 2022
- Solo Show, Resident Artist at DakshinaChitra, Chennai, January 1st to 9th, 2022
(Additional exhibitions from 2011-2021 have been omitted for brevity but are available upon request.)
PARTICIPATION:
- “Kalatarang,” Gond Art Workshop, Bhujbal Knowledge City, Nasik, December 19th to 20th, 2024
- Public Art Project of India, June 22nd to July 17th, 2024, Bharat Mandapam and Africa Avenue, New Delhi
- NMACC (Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre), BKC, Mumbai, June 10th to 25th, 2024
- “Art in Industry,” International Art Camp, organized by Tata Steel at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, October 31st to November 4th, 2023
- “Rangotsav-2023,” Rashtriya Chitrankan Shivir, Rajkiya Sangrahalaya, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, February 24th to 26th, 2023
- “Pavaki 2.0,” International Art Summit, IIT Kanpur, December 3rd to 4th, 2022
- Folk and Tribal Painting Camp at Mind Tree School, Samsara Foundation, Ambala, March 15th to 29th, 2021
- Kala Parv, West Zone Cultural Centre, Udaipur, March 5th to 10th, 2021
AWARDS:
- 6th International Crafts Award (Master Artist) 2022
- Ojas Art Awards 2015
- State Award of Madhya Pradesh, 2002
- Karigar Sanskriti Award, Kolkata, West Bengal, 2010
- The Tallest Story Competition Trophy from Inverness Film Festival, Scotland, 2007
ACHIEVEMENTS:
- “Modern Tribal: Producing Indigeneity in Our Times,” Panel Discussion on Tribal Art at Tate Modern, London, June 12th to 17th, 2018
- Dhaka Art Summit (“Sovereign Words”); Symposium, Keynote Speaker of Gond Art, February 2nd to 9th, 2018
- Dalit Writers’ Festival Symposium, Gond Writer Speaker at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, 2016
- TEDx Talk, New Delhi, October 18th, 2016
- APT8 (Asia Pacific Triennial 8) Talk on Gond Art at Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia, November 2015
- Lecture on Aesthetics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, August 31st, 2015
- Keynote Artist at the Opening Conference of the National Gallery of Canada’s “Sakahàn” Exhibition, Ottawa, May 17th, 2013
- Animation Workshop, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, September 2012
- Painting Workshop for Rachana Sansad School of Fashion & Textile Design, Mumbai, 2010
- Symposium Participant at National Museum, New Delhi, October 2010
- Symposium Participant at Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, April 2010
- Symposium Participant at Perugia University, Perugia, Italy, 2009
- Painting Workshops for Learners at Shivaji Museum, Mumbai, 2008 & 2010
Venkat Raman Singh Shyam continues to keep the legacy of Pradhan-Gond traditional tribal art alive, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of his ancestors on global platforms.