Vision of India

Vision of India is a non-profit organisation committed to improving the lives of India’s rural villages. They aim to provide an integrated rural development program that promotes self-sufficiency. VOI has been connected with projects in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana and several other parts of India. VOI have been working with women to organize self help groups that provide supplementary income to women engaged in weaving, tailoring, doll-making and other craft activities.

Gond paintings

Paintings developed in collaboration with Gond artisans from Madhya Pradesh will go on display in Tokyo during January at the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. The Gond people are well known for their rich cultural heritage which comes forth in their stories, music, dance and paintings. The Gond are a tribe spread over many Indian states including Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa, and in small scattered pockets of Assam, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. However, the majority of Gond’s today are found in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It is believed that they settled in Gondhwana, now known as eastern Madhya Pradesh between the 9th and 13th century AD.

Paintings developed in collaboration with Gond artisans from Madhya Pradesh will go on display in Tokyo during January at the Japanese Internaional Cooperation Agency (JICA). The Gond people are well known for their rich cultural heritage which comes forth in their stories, music, dance and paintings. The Gond are a tribe spread over many Indian states including Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa, and in small scattered pockets of Assam, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The majority of Gond's today are found in Madhya Pradeh and Chattisgarh.

It is believed that they settled in Gondhwana, now known as eastern Madhya Pradesh between the 9th and 13th century AD. Gond artisans depict the religious, spiritual, natural and social cosmos in a diversity of ways, and styles, expressing both individual and collective identities. Traditionally these paintings are found in the inner and outer walls of houses, doors, and windows with the colour limited to whites, yellows, ochres and mud based colours. The availability of a wide range of colours has been readily adopted by the Gond whose work now utilizes the full spectrum of the palette in vibrant, colourful hues.

Paintings are both decorative & ritualistic; they mark seasonal changes such as the breaking of the monsoon, deities associated with certain religious occasions, or celebrate important stages of life such as birth, pregnancy & death. Events and figures associated with local festivals like Karwa Chauth, Deepawali, Ahoi Ashtami, Nag Panchmi, and Sanjhi also find representation in paintings. Similarly, the natural environment is particularly important and Gond artists commonly depict their love of nature, animals and trees. In the belief of the traditionally forest dwelling Gong, trees are connected to gods and contain the cosmos. Gond artists now incorporate observations & themes from contemporary life, alongside traditional motifs & painting styles. Varied in subject matter and style, from stark black & white to brilliant colours, the paintings in this collection are all vibrant in design, reflecting the intricate details & complex patterns used by Gond artists. Craftmark is pleased to bring you this exhibition of culturally unique paintings that reflect India’s rich heritage.