jangarh singh shyam & family

An exhibition of drawings and paintings of Jangarh Singh Shyam & family

4th - 25th August, 2009

The choice of presenting an exhibition of Jangarh Singh Shyam and family is, in a sense, a product of circumstance. Jangarh had a strong connection with Gallery Chemould, showing with us on two occasions before his untimely death in 2000.

Jangarh came to Bhopal from the forests of Mandla, having being discovered and mentored by J. Swaminathan. He worked in the print studio of Bharat Bhavan, where he created a prolific body of work. He achieved much fame in his lifetime, and became an important voice of folk and tribal art both in India and internationally.

More recently, we grew familiar with family members who share Jangarh’s talent and inclination. Inspired by the departed pioneer, who worked tirelessly, they live by their art. The paintings of Nankusia Shyam, his widow, and Japani Shyam, his daughter, reveal Jangarh’s strong influence. A linear approach, rendering the image with a more cellular mode, patterning with dots and blobs, the use of semi - circles to indicate movement; animal and bird forms free - falling in landscapes without horizon; metaphors of stories retold. These attributes form the essence of their work.

Mayank Shyam, Jangarh’s son, has developed a unique language quite different from that of the rest of the family. His lines are deliberate and precise rather than free-flowing. Almost always working with pen and ink on canvas or paper, he explores urban yet quasi-mythical landscapes.

It is with pleasure that we revive the memory of Jangarh Singh Shyam, to whom this exhibition is dedicated, and show the onward journey of his family.