Jangarh Singh Shyam's retrospective is exposition of his art, tragic life

Shyam's 'folksy' work held its own in a famously patronising art world, asserting his adivasi culture

There is as much to be said about Jangarh Singh Shyam’s life as there is about his art. An artist from Patangarh in Madhya Pradesh, Shyam painted in the distinctive Gond style of dots and dashes. He was first spotted by artist Jagdish Swaminathan in 1981 when he was setting up the arts institution Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal. From that moment on, 20-year-old Shyam’s life took a turn that he could never have seen coming. 

Detail of a mural at Vidhan Bhavan, Bhopal. Photo: Jyotindra Jain /