Forced at an early age into the workforce by the untimely death of his older brother, Rajendra Kumar Shyam would travel deep into the forest, collecting firewood for sale. When he and other wood collectors had to spend the night in the forest, they gathered around a fire for protection and listened to the gripping stories of the elders. Now, Rajendra Kumar Shyam has moved from laborer to artist and draws upon the religious and folk myths of Central India for his richly textured and beautifully symmetrical paintings.

The Pardhan Gond paintings are living expressions of his tribal life. The paintings, once done in plaster on village walls, are now available on paper and canvas. The ancient art form was revitalized and transformed in the 1980s, centered in Bhopal. It is art that tells stories that have been protected and nurtured for centuries.