Bhajju Shyam Tribal Dance, 1997 Acrylic on canvas, 52” x 84” Among Jangarh’s successors, Bhajju Shyam is quite prominent. This painting by Bhajju portrays dancing, an activity the Gonds are extremely fond of and which they believe was first learned from peacocks. Bhajju favors symmetric compositions; here the tree is flanked by musicians and male-female dance partners on either side. The tree is smeared with a red powder (kumkum or sindoor) as if worshipped as a goddess, the color red being associated with sanctity. The concentric, undulating red waves in the foliage emphasize the energy created by the dancers’ rhythms. The border consists of a digna design, a pattern that Gond women commonly create on the walls and floors of their homes.
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