talesonsilk celebrates indian artists contemporising tribal gond painting

founded to give recognition to india’s lesser-known artists, talesonsilk showcases the intricate and inspired folk work of emerging gond painters santosh maravi and rahul singh shyam. gond painting, the centuries-old art form still practiced today by the country’s largest tribes, is influenced by the ancient technique of mud mural motifs which, when painted on the village’s homes, turn the walls into vivid canvases of color and pattern. with their original paintings, santosh and rahul demonstrate their passion and aim in exposing the artistry to more parts of the world.

2 birds by santosh maravi
all images courtesy of talesonsilk

talesonsilk, netherlands-based home décor brand, dedicates its platform for the first time to gond artist santosh maravi. growing up with his uncle and aunt – also painters – the artist’s interest kept growing. today, having mastered the art, he uses powerful imagery to express the melancholy of our environment being destroyed. santosh tries to recreate conversations between trees, man and birds, in a time where all lived harmoniously together. with his signature motif inspired by a traditionally embellished pair of sandals, the painter expresses his thoughts and continues to pass the art to students and upcoming artists.

living together by santosh maravi

apprenticed under the well-established painter bhaju shyam, rahul singh shyam is the brand’s second gond collaboration. his passion for nature, indian culture, history, and religion play significant roles for when he seeks for inspiration. all these images, combined with his childhood tales and stories that his mother would narrate, are then meticulously depicted on paper.

artist rahul singh shyam at work

‘we are very excited to launch this collaboration with 3 original paintings created by rahul singh shyam for talesonsilk clients. this collaboration comes at a time when home offices seem like the norm and people are craving joy by way of decorating their workspace with original works that would take them back to the days of travel and discovery’, said nirali surati, founder of talesonsilk.

the king by rahul singh shyam

forming water droplets, rahul creates his own signature motives by sourcing patterns from his grandmother’s fishing net. the blank surfaces are then filled with the triangular and oval sequences, decorated with acrylic brush strokes, dashes and dots, all of which convey a sense of movement. just as with santosh’s work, the finishing of the bright colors brings the paintings to life.

the water raven by rahul singh shyam