Today, Bhajju Shyam may be a renowned Gond artist and writer with his works selling across the world, but his journey from a tribal village boy in Patangarh, Madhya Pradesh, to an acclaimed artist was one filled with hardships... and one that is truly inspiring. Sure, he set out from his village to support his family, but along the way, he found solace in art.
Bhajju who was in Hyderabad after a long gap to conduct a three-day workshop on Gond art talks about his life. “When I started from my village, the only thing that mattered to me was money. We had no money, books or uniforms and I had passed Class X amidst a lot of difficulties,” says Bhajju.
But, the difficulties had just started, “In Bhopal, I worked as a night guard and an electrician on a salary of Rs 600. I tried to save money apart from paying Rs 300 as rent,” he adds.
On seeing his condition, his uncle, renowned Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, took him in as an apprentice. “My work was simple, I just had to fill in the colours on the canvas as I used to do with my mother, while painting our walls at home,” he says.
Jangarh was impressed and motivated Bhajju to paint independently. “When I first began painting, it was the same as my uncle’s. But slowly, I got the grip of it and now, every painting has my signature style,” he says.
Love for nature: An art work by renowned Gond artist Bhajju Shyam.
Soon, Bhajju began selling his art and gained recognition. “It was my uncle who sold a few of my works without my knowledge. And surprisingly, one of those fetched Rs 150, back then it was a big deal,” he says.
But that was only the beginning. Slowly, his art became part of exhibitions worldwide. His life changed on a trip to London in 2001 for two reasons — it was his first international trip and it also gave him his first book, London Jungle Book, where he depicted various parts of London, like the underground metro as an element in nature.
“For me, everything is related to nature because that’s what I have grown up with. That’s the specialty of Gond art, everything you see can be depicted through nature,” he shares.
Today, Bhajju is a name everyone recognises, however, he remains unaffected by fame. Dressed in a plaid shirt and golden earrings, he carries on teaching the nuances of Gond art.
