Born 1970, in a family of Pardhan tribal community of Gonds, Shyam began painting at the age of ten. He moved to the city of Bhopal in 1988 and worked for five years as an apprentice to his uncle, the master artist Jangarh Sing Shyam who is credited with having initiated the contemporary Gond art movement. As the most innovative and experimental of Jangarh’s artistic successors, Venkat has worked in a variety of media and styles, ranging from figurative and naturalistic drawings and acrylic paintings on canvas and silk, to more decorative work in papier maché, ceramic tiles, glass, aluminum and sheet iron. He draws inspiration from personal memories of growing up in different village communities, observing nature, traditional Gond myths, oral histories, rituals and daily life — as well as his own personal experiences of the modern world. His work has been widely collected and exhibited, both throughout India and internationally. He has won the M.P State award, and also The Tallest Story Competition Trophy from Inverness film Festival in Scotland. Shyam Venkat lives and works in Bhopal.