Jangarh Singh Shyam belonged to the Gond community of Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh In 1981, when Jangarh was just 16 years old, artist J Swaminathan discovered his talent and brought him to work at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal It was here that Jangarh developed his unique style, a brilliant fusion of tribal art and modern contemporary influences After relocating to Bhopal, he perfected his craft, becoming a master in both brush and pen paintings

Jangarh's work reflects the innocent and unspoilt vision of the tribal mind, executed with the assuredness of a creative genius Some of his most well-known paintings include images of a leaping tiger, deities from the tribal pantheon, and representations of birds and peacocks His paintings are full of movement and vibrancy, depicting a world populated by gods, goddesses, birds, animals, and trees With each stroke, Jangarh created a distinctive textural pattern that lent his works a sense of repetition and depth His artwork seemed to summon his forest companions from his earlier life, bringing them to life on canvas in an effort to ward off the phantoms of the city Village deities such as Bagh Dev and Marahi Dev often appeared in his works, staring down the viewer, perhaps as a form of spiritual protection

In 1985, Jangarh was honoured with the Shikhar Samman, the highest artistic award in Madhya Pradesh In 1990, he painted the main dome of Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, featuring the Gond deity Baradeo His work earned him international recognition, and he was invited to exhibit at the prestigious Pompidou Centre in Paris Jangarh also travelled to the US, UK, and many other countries to showcase his art When he was commissioned to paint the interiors of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, he generously distributed his fee of Rs 7 lakhs among fellow artists and people from his village, despite living in modest circumstances himself

Jangarh was one of five tribal artists selected to participate in an arts programme called ‘Other Masters’ at the Crafts Museum in New Delhi Like many other Indian folk artists, he was also invited to work at the Mithila Museum in Japan, where he created a body of work that is now part of the museum’s collection Though Jangarh tragically passed away in 2001, his short yet extraordinary career left behind a powerful legacy, blending modernity with the deep-rooted traditions of Gond art