Gond Art

About Gond Art

Tribal Art from Madhya Pradesh

The Gonds are a tribal community widely spread over Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, and also some parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Gonds call themselves Koi or Koitur, which means unclear. They are one of the largest tribes of India. Gonds have been greatly influenced by the culture and traditions of the Hindus. They are worshippers of Janani. They also worship Pharsa Pen in the form of a nail or a piece of iron chain. Like the Santhals, the Gonds believe that everything in nature is inhabited by spirits and they need to be appeased with sacrifices. On such occasions, the priest or devari perform the necessary rituals. Gond paintings are created on the walls of their dwellings and besides being decorative, they are expressions of their religious beliefs and sentiments. The themes are closely linked with their daily lives, and depict their local festivals and Gods, as well as objects and creatures present around them. However, they have now started painting on paper and canvas as well. The painters use a technique creating textures with patterns. Gond paintings have an uncanny likeness to Australian aboriginal art. In both these art forms, the brush moves creating dots or lines as fillers. Gond paintings have great universal appeal.