India is home to an uncountable number of Tribes; each one very different from the others. One such tribe is GOND residing in central India, Madhya Pradesh. This tribe is more than 1400 years old, and practice an ancient art form called "GOND PAINTING"
Gond Tribe believe strongly about appreciating nature and they derive all their inspiration from the natural beauty, the mountains, the animals, trees, etc. They used to carve Gond Art on cave walls and cloth using natural vivid colors. They used to paint on the floors and walls of their houses signifying good luck. Today, Government of India is doing a lot to preserve this are by spreading awareness in various ways.
Gond Painting is a centuries old rare tribal art which is done on handmade paper or mill fabrics. The Gond tribe uses vibrant colors and unique textures in their art form which looks so relevant in this modern era. These days Gond painting is also practiced in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Chattisgarh. To preserve this beautiful folk art, artists have come up with so many abstract designs which is worth a look!
COLORS USED IN GOND PAINTING:
What strikes the most in Gond Painting are its bold and beautiful colors! The paints are usually derived naturally from objects such as charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, mud, flowers, leaves and even cow dung. That said, due to the scarcity of natural colours these days, Gond artists have begun to use poster colours and use canvas to paint on (source: Google)
ABSTRACT DESIGNS
The most interesting feature of any Gond Painting is the design. Although, artists paint things which they say in their daily lives for example, trees, birds, animals, moods, emotions, the sky; but they add intricate dots, lines, dashes which makes it more exquisite! These geometric patterns and strokes which are added inside the structure makes it so unique from any other art.
In the modern times, Gond paintings are done in papers, wooden trays, and other miscellaneous objects using simple poster colors instead of drawing on walls. Because of that, it is easier to carry them and transport it across. It is a lesser known art form which is getting a voice slowly.
Our Gond Artist: Smt. Geeta Bariya