Mayank Shyam (b. 1987; Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh) is an artist whose practice extends the pioneering legacy of Jangarh Singh Shyam while articulating a distinctive visual language of his own. The son of the legendary Gond master Jangarh Singh Shyam and acclaimed artist Nankusia Shyam, he was raised in an environment where storytelling and painting were inseparable, absorbing the rich visual traditions of Pardhan Gond art from an early age.
Working primarily with acrylic and ink on paper and canvas, Mayank creates intricate compositions inspired by Gond cosmology, oral traditions, forests, animals, and ecological relationships. His paintings are characterised by fluid forms, finely detailed linework, and rhythmic patterns that transform flora, fauna, and celestial beings into dynamic visual narratives. Deeply rooted in tradition yet contemporary in sensibility, his work explores the interconnectedness of humans, nature, and the spiritual world, expanding the possibilities of the Jangarh Kalam while remaining grounded in Gond cultural knowledge.
Mayank first came into prominence with Primal Force at CIMA Gallery, Kolkata, in 2006. Since then, he has exhibited extensively across India, including Freedom: Sixty Years after Indian Independence (2008), In Search of Context (2009), and Yeh Image Mahan – India Meets Bharat (2010) at CIMA Gallery and Chemould Gallery, as well as recent exhibitions such as The Conference of the Birds (2021), Echoes of the Land (2022), The Rain Within (2023, with Ram Singh Urveti), The Blue One (2024), and Chrysalism: Songs of the Monsoon (2025).
In 2006, he received the State Award from the Hasta Shilpa Evam Hathkargha Vikas Nigam, Government of Madhya Pradesh, recognising his exceptional promise as a young artist. His work has been featured in important exhibition catalogues and publications, including Freedom: Sixty Years after Indian Independence (Art and Heritage Foundation, 2007) and Chola Maati: Pradhan Gond Rituals from Birth to Death, presented at Sarmaya, Mumbai, and Paris (2026). He has also been featured in publications and exhibition reviews by The Indian Express, Ojas Art exhibition catalogues, and the India Art Fair programme, reflecting growing critical engagement with his contribution to contemporary indigenous artistic practices.
Mayank Shyam continues to expand the visual and expressive possibilities of the Jangarh Kalam, creating works that honour its cultural inheritance while engaging with contemporary artistic discourse.
