Sarman Kumar Shyam is a self taught artist of the Gond tribe. He grew up in the rough terrain of Madhya Pradesh and learnt to paint as a child on the walls with mud and other readily available natural material.The gond art and artists like Sarman recieved the attention and support of the then Director of Roopankar Museum at Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal.This provided him and others in the village, an opportunity to learn, evolve and showcase their work on a contemporary art platform. In an interesting mix of the tribal and modern symbols, in detailed brush and pen drawings and paintings, his work features tribal pantheons, birds, and landscape. Much of it is the source of livelihood for many of them. His world of icons, birds, animals and trees, painted in repetitive colourful patterns, has been exhibited in India and internationally. It has received critical acclaim and won him awards.