FROM FOREST WALLS TO GLOBAL GALLERIES: TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN THE GOND ART OF MADHYA PRADESH

Gond art is a traditional tribal art & culture famous in Madhya Pradesh. This art is a medium that uses the theme of nature, folk stories, religion, and daily life to tell a story. As an important part of India’s tribal heritage, this art form represents more than just religious beliefs. Memories and experiences of the entire Gond community reflects in this art. The beauty of this art painting is its unique use of dots, lines, shapes, and vibrant colours. The subject of this painting is natural landscapes, traditional myths, stories of deities, and various social day-to-day life activities, etc. Over time, this tradition has adopted several innovations. It was originally started on walls and floors by using natural pigment colours. Gond art has adapted many new art techniques and materials in the Modern era. Like artists use paper and canvas, acrylic and poster colors to make paintings, and meet the demands of today's contemporary art market. Despite these changes, artists have still preserved their old traditional symbols and themes. By integrating new forms and techniques, Gond artists have established this art within the global art scene. Therefore, Gond art has gained recognition not only locally but also on national and international platforms. This art technique creates a bridge between rural and urban societies. The objective of this research is to analyse the balance between the traditional Gond art and its modern evolutions. This paper focuses on how Gond artists maintain their traditional cultural identity by using today's creative experimentation in a contemporary context. The harmony between tradition and innovation in Gond art is an inspiring model. It is the preservation and development of Indian traditional tribal art.