Jangarh Singh Shyam: The Enchanted Forest Paintings And Drawings From The Crites Collection
Aurogeeta Das
Jangarh Singh Shyam was born in the early 1960s to an impoverished, indigenous family in rural, central India. He flew into and out of the Indian art scene like a bright, yet elusive bird. Nurtured by the renowned artist J. Swaminathan at Bharat Bhavan, the multi-arts centre in Bhopal, Jangarh rose to prominence after participating in a seminal exhibition in Paris. After a relatively brief career spanning 20-odd years, he committed suicide in Japan, while on an artist residency in the remote Niigata Prefecture. His work, which arguably defied established art historical categories and inspired a contemporary school of indigenous painting, continues to attract admirers within India and abroad. Exploring his aesthetics, thematic engagements and art historical relevance, this book focuses on Niloufar and Mitchell S. Crites' collection of Jangarh Singh Shyam's paintings and drawings in New Delhi.