Gond Art: A Legacy of Indigenous Community of Central India

The Gonds are one of the largest indigenous communities in India, concentrated in Madhya Pradesh and the surrounding regions. Gond comes from the word “Kond”, a Dravidian word meaning green mountains. The traditional Gond art paintings were created on the walls and facades of their domestic and community spaces. It was in the early 1980s that a cluster of Gond artists started adapting their ritualistic paintings to modern mediums like paper and canvas. Modern Gond art paintings demonstrate strong roots in their historic lifestyle, the natural world, mythological beliefs, songs and oral histories. These complex and intriguing aspects merge aesthetically with modern modes of depiction and techniques, resulting in colourful odes to their myriad past.“The Gonds used natural colours for painting obtained from tree barks, leaves, flowers and the earth. And walls were their canvas. Now, they use acrylic and canvas.” as informed by many Gond artists.