Nankusia Shyam is a Gond artist. She learnt her art from her husband, Jangarh Singh Shyam. Initially she was hesitant to take up painting, but Jangarh Singh encouraged her by letting her fill up the colours of the figures in his drawings. Then he would ask her to create some images. After he had passed away, and she was trying to cope with the world without Jangarh, it was her paintings that helped her carry on. The forms and colours which were buried deep inside her consciousness gave her the confidence to enter the world of contemporary Gond painting.

Nankusia’s art is inspired by nature and its various forms are amply reflected in her paintings. She paints all kinds of animals, which she saw while growing up in Sonpuri. Of her three children, Mayank and Japani have already established themselves as Gond artists. Their house in Bhopal, which has become a second home to many artists from Patangarh is highly charged with creativity.

Nankusia Shyam works in Bharat Bhawan where she was absorbed after her husband passed away. She has illustrated a children’s book, Bulli and the Tiger, published by Puffin Books. Nankusia has travelled extensively in India and abroad. Her art has been exhibited in Dubai, Japan, Sri Lanka, and other countries. In 2002, Nankusia was presented a state level award by the Madhya Pradesh Hasta Shilpa Vikas Nigam.