Getting to know the Gond

gond-illustration

"The Friendship of the Tiger and the Boar," (detail) 1989.
by Jangarh Singh Shyam (1960-2001)
Acrylics on canvas, 43½ x 31½”
© The Estate of Jangarh Singh Shyam

Brightly colorful depictions of tribal mythology delight the eye in a rare display of central India's contemporary Pardhan Gond tribal arts. Learn more about one of South Asia's most vibrant contemporary indigenous art movements at the Give Your Heart to Art fundraiser Feb. 20 at the Covington Center.

The first American exhibition of contemporary Pardhan Gond art will appear at RU Art Museum fall 2015. In preparation for this rare viewing opportunity, exhibition curator John H. Bowles brings his passion and expertise to the Give Your Heart to Art fundraising dinner.

According to Bowles: "The Gonds – who now number over 12 million people – are one of South Asia's largest tribal communities. They first came to popular international attention through Rudyard Kipling's 'Jungle Book', which describes them as ' ...the oldest race in India—the aboriginal owners of the land.' For centuries, this tribe’s itinerant clan of priestly minstrels – known as Pardhan Gonds – has orally transmitted traditional myths about the world's origins, their jungle habitat and its wildlife, nature deities, and sacred geography. Starting in the early 1980s, certain Pardhan Gonds also began using commercial paints, canvas, ink, animated film and other modern media to depict such traditional subjects. In recent years, they've also begun to address such contemporary issues as environmentalism and terrorism." 

Bowles is the featured guest speaker at RU's Art Society's "Give Your Heart to Art" annual fundraising event. He is author of "Painted Songs & Stories: The Hybrid Flowerings of Contemporary Pardhan Gond Art," published in 2009 by INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage).

Funds from Give Your Heart to Art go toward the purchase of new works for the RU Art Museum's permanent collection. Tickets are $100 per person. More information and reservations for this fundraiser are available by emailing uainvite@radford.edu.

Feb 11, 2015
CVPA
540-831-6237
cvpa411@radford.edu