Rudyard Kipling might be the poster boy of colonialism, but a Gond artist from Madhya Pradesh has neatly turned the anthropological tables with the publication of London Jungle Book. Bhajju Shyam takes a look at the jaded city with new eyes, and transforms its legendary landmarks and symbols by marrying them with Gond iconography. The exercise results in utterly delightful, quirky and profound images. He turns London into an exotic bestiary, where the Big Ben merges with a giant rooster, the Gond symbol for time; and the London Underground is transformed into a caterpillar.
The book is a series of paintings, with a pithy, insightful commentary by the artist, sensitively translated into English. Shyam worked closely with his publishers Sirish Rao and Gita Wolf to develop the narrative of the book. The result is a visual travelogue that tells the story of Shyam’s encounter with London and its denizens: he sees them as bat creatures that come to life in the evening.
Shyam first came to London two years ago, to paint murals on the walls of an upmarket Indian restaurant in London. Unencumbered with the baggage of expectations and prior knowledge, he let his imagination loose, forming insightful impressions of the city and the act of travelling.
The artist was born in Patangarh village in 1971. Like most Gond children, he grew up helping his mother paint the walls of their home. His tribe believes in literally surrounding themselves in their art, as for them it is a form of prayer and they believe good luck follows those who see a good image. Originally, art was integrated with the way of life of the community, but over the past few decades, several Gond artists, like Shyam, have moved to Bhopal, to find a market for their art.
In his quest, Shyam became an apprentice to his uncle, Jangarh Singh Shyam, who was possibly the most recognised Gond artist in India, and abroad. From his guru, Shyam learnt the intricacies of an art form he knew intimately. As his confidence and artistry grew, his work was showcased in India and abroad, culminating in the London Jungle Book, which was launched at the Museum of London to critical acclaim. It was described by no less a person than the influential art historian, painter and author, John Berger, as “a beautiful book”. “I would like to give it to everyone I love when they are travelling,” was his comment on the show.
While Shyam sees London from almost an innocent, simplistic viewpoint, he manages to convey profound thoughts. Landing at Heathrow, he was initially struck by the fact that everyone was a foreigner only to realise that “My colour was different, my language was taken away from me... I myself had become a foreigner!” His touchstone is always India: “Obviously there are poor people in London too, but not as poor as the poor in India...anyone who has work in London is alright. But in India, you can work all day and still be hungry.”
Describing the people, he says “There are two types of people: one kind likes to dress exactly as they please. And the other kind always wants to be like everyone else, dressed in black.” He sums up the English weather when he says, “The sky is rarely blue, and the sun is much weaker than ours. There is always some kind of wetness. Something is always falling from the sky.” With the simple and flowing strokes of his brush and pen, Shyam has managed to capture the essence of the immigrant experience, the feeling of displacement and the novelty that is often lost in the frequency of travel.
November 27, 2004
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