Madhya Pradesh's Gond art to be highlighted at UN's 'climate change' meet in Spain

BHOPAL: Gond art of Madhya Pradesh has been selected as one of 25 artworks to highlight the biggest threat of our times ‘climate change’.
Gond artist Dilip Shyam’s art work is on display at pavilion of UN climate change conference or COP25, being held in Spain.
Sheshnag is a mythical snake in Gond art. In tribal belief systems and popular folklore, it is a metaphor of mother earth, said Shyam.The painting depicts cutting of tree and its impact. “I drew the painting to highlight the sustained abuse of natural resources, cutting of trees and its adverse impact that is leading us into a climate crisis,” he added.
Officials from Madhya Pradesh tourism and Tribal Museum in Bhopal guided Shyam through the process. His art work has been displayed globally. Shyam is the nephew of one of the best known Gond artists, Jangan Singh Shyam, who was awarded the Shikhar Samman, the highest state honour for artistic excellence, in the 1990s when he was only 30. Within last four decades, Gond art has transformed from being storytellers who recited folklore and drew on mud to preservable sheets in galleries across the world. The transformation was spearheaded by J Swaminathan, who was instrumental in establishment of the Bharat Bhawan.
“Gonds were primarily storytellers of their folklore and drew on the floor. As a result, each Gond painting is a story,” said author and activist, Chinmay Mishra. “Gonf have their own theory of earth, water and overall evolution of civilisation,” he added. It compares with indigenous Australians art, he added. The exhibition in COP25 features the work of renowned designers who have designed unique posters specifically for COP25 with the objective of encouraging more ambitious climate action. The selected artworks will be on display at the UN Climate Change Pavilion at COP25 and presented online with the hashtag #25x25. The theme of COP25, “Time for Action”, is the theme of the 25x25 poster exhibition.