Venkat Raman Singh Shyam (b.1970) belongs to the tradition of Pardhan Gond art inaugurated by the legendary Jangarh Singh Shyam, his uncle. After apprenticing with Jangarh in the 1990s, Venkat worked a range of jobs—including as house painter, screen printer and signboard artist. He also was fortunate to be guided by the pioneering Jagdish Swaminathan. Since Jangarh’s death in 2002 hi, Venkat has pursued a full-time career in art despite several hurdles. Having travelled and exhibited widely in India, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Europe, Venkat has been exposed to a wide range of arts practices which have influenced his sensibility. Venkat’s graphic autobiography, Finding My Way, co-authored with S. Anand, was published in 2016 to critical acclaim. Reviewing it, The Hindu said, ‘Finding My Way is an endlessly fascinating mix: part autobiography, part oral history, part ironic and playful in tone, part homage to ancestors and tradition, part graphic novel, part Kunstlerroman — and altogether a breathtaking artistic achievement.’ John Berger said, ‘It transports the reader to another time and age and space and perspective to a degree that I’ve never seen before.
