Venkat Raman Singh Shyam- Gond Traditional Tribal Artist

Profile of Artist:

Venkat Raman Singh Shyam was 10 when he picked up pieces of charcoal and adorned every inch of the walls of his home and scraps of newspaper with sketches of all that he saw in his village. Born into a Gond Pardhan family in Sejohra village of Madhya Pradesh, Venkat has entrenched himself in the world of Art for the last 4 decades. Training under his uncle, famed Gond artist late Jangarh Singh Shyam, Venkat learnt to develop his own unique style while visually narrating ancient tales of his community and modern day scenes of the world around him.

Venkat has travelled extensively and exhibited his work in India and the world over. He was awarded the Rajya Hasta Shilpa Puraskar by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 2002. He was also the coordinator for an animated film on a Gond folktale made by Tara Douglas which won the Tallest Story Competition Trophy at the Inverness Film Festival, Scotland.

Venkat remembers when his journey began while watching the men and women painting auspicious designs on the ground and walls laced with fresh mud paste and cow dung when he was hardly 7 year old. This is called Digna and Chauka .In the initial stage of his life he worked as signboard artist, screen printer, house painter and did many other jobs for his livelihood.

Venkat is one of the artists who participated in the Kalp Vriksha Contemporary Indigenous and Vernacular Art of India project at the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art at Queensland Art Gallery.

“Change is the ultimate rule of nature and the universe. While the theme of my paintings is rooted in my traditions and mythology, my narrative constantly adapts to reach out to varied audiences” says Venkat.

Contact Detail:

Name:	VENKAT RAMAN SINGH SHYAM
Address:	20,Phase 3, Vishal Nagar, Mandori Road,Neelbad, Bhopal-462044 (M.P.)
Phone No:	975 368 1103
whatsapp No:
Email Id:	Shyamvenkat05@gmail.com