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The Night Life of Trees
In the belief of the Gond tribe, the lives of humans and trees are closely entwined. Trees contain the cosmos; when night falls, the spirits they nurture glimmer into life. A visual ode to trees rendered by tribal artists from India, this handcrafted edition showcases three of the finest living Gond masters. This collection of their distinctive styles is enchanting—an excellent gift for those fascinated by trees, art or folk traditions.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
843 people want to read
About the author
Bhajju Shyam
19 books17 followersBhajju Shyam is one of the finest artists of the Gond tribe in central India. Like most children from his tribe, Bhajju grew up helping his mother paint the walls of their village home, and at the age of sixteen, he moved to the city of Bhopal in search of work and soon became an apprentice to his uncle, the famous artist Jangarh Singh Shyam. Bhajju’s prowess as an independent artist grew quickly, and in 2001 he received a state award for Best Indigenous Artist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 2, 2019
let's be honest. with this one, you're not reading it for the articles.
the text of the book is fine - it's just spare fragments of folklore from the gond tribe of central india about trees. but the book itself, as objet, well, that's another matter entirely. it is a from a limited print-run, of which each book has been individually silk-screened onto thick handmade paper by this publisher: http://www.tarabooks.com/, and all of their books are gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.
here:
so beautiful. love.
come to my blog!
the text of the book is fine - it's just spare fragments of folklore from the gond tribe of central india about trees. but the book itself, as objet, well, that's another matter entirely. it is a from a limited print-run, of which each book has been individually silk-screened onto thick handmade paper by this publisher: http://www.tarabooks.com/, and all of their books are gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.
here:
so beautiful. love.
come to my blog!
June 6, 2018
Коли хтось каже «я подивився на цю книгу і зрозумів, що вона має бути твоя» зразу ж стає цікаво. Розумію, що химерні ілюстрації, унікальність композиції, та взагалі - дерева всюди, це звісно прикольно. Напевно, все ж мені приємно, що хендмейд книги про індійський вузькоспеціалізований фольклор нагадують про мене, хоча питання все ж просяться.
January 12, 2012
This is one of the most gorgeous books I've ever seen. Pictures of trees by three artists of the Gond people of India are individually silk-screened onto hand-made paper. They are captioned with bits of folklore from that region of India. I can't recommend this book highly enough - the artwork is beautiful, and the tales that are told are just enough to make the work complete. Even if your reading time is limited, get hold of a copy of this book; it won't take you but a few minutes to look at the whole thing and smile.
July 13, 2019
Sparse text offering vignettes of lovely Gond folklore - but really this is all about the art! Each page is screen printed by hand on thick black handmade paper, and it is just gorgeous.
April 4, 2015
Three Gond artists create dramatic images of trees to accompany folklore concerning trees.
February 22, 2020
Beautiful pictures in a style of drawing and detail that is intricate and evocative of unseen life.
October 12, 2017
Oh, wow. This book is more of an experience than a read, to be honest. It's also definitely an art/picture book. I remember adding this to my list and thinking, "ah, this'll probably be something wordy and technical, hard to understand". Oops.
Book content warnings:
eye horror (visual)
body horror (visual)
The Night Life of Trees is a collection of screen prints from three of the most celebrated artists from the Gond tribe of central India: Bhajju Shyam, Ram Singh Urveti, and Durga Bai. Each print (set on black paper) is accompanied by a tiny folk tale/myth about each tree in the print. The book is huge and stunning, and it's nothing like I've ever seen before. The tales themselves aren't very involving themselves, and would be pale on their own, so I'm very glad this isn't just a collection of tales. But with the pictures, as a whole this book is gorgeous.
Book content warnings:
eye horror (visual)
body horror (visual)
The Night Life of Trees is a collection of screen prints from three of the most celebrated artists from the Gond tribe of central India: Bhajju Shyam, Ram Singh Urveti, and Durga Bai. Each print (set on black paper) is accompanied by a tiny folk tale/myth about each tree in the print. The book is huge and stunning, and it's nothing like I've ever seen before. The tales themselves aren't very involving themselves, and would be pale on their own, so I'm very glad this isn't just a collection of tales. But with the pictures, as a whole this book is gorgeous.
February 1, 2024
I found the 3rd edition (note to self: 2006 edition 724/1000) in a thrift store, what an amazing find. As other reviewers have said, the story is not that interesting, but as an art object it's really cool. The drawings (traditional Indian Gond art) are beautiful and the black paper is handmade and nice and thick. One for my ethnographic collection.
May 5, 2017
First of all I chose to read this particular book around early morning when it is still considered night for who can truly enjoy such a title during the day? It gives the reader time to pause to think about the world around them when they are confronted with the idea that trees need a break and that it is rightly so they do so at the time when magic is supposed to abound. This seems to be an agreed upon time for great things to happen.
Unfortunately there isn't much to be said about the writing. There were times when the reader was presented with something beautiful such as the first story about the cowherd and the calf. In that example the reader was taken into a lovely story that conveyed them into an exotic world but one that still seems reachable to even us who don't live in the Gond homeland. At other times the trees were mentioned only slightly and not even a name was given them so the reader was left needing more but without a way of getting it.
Instead the book's true magic is within the illustrations that are presented to the reader. Although not seemingly realistic to the reader in either the presentation of the actual tree, humans or animals there is still a folkloric beauty when you look at these stylized trees. The colors, their simplicity, the attempt to give the reader a chance to ponder the beauty of the importance of the tree and the presentation in which one feels like they are in a forest since of the shadow of the last tree on the page before.
All in all this was a gorgeous book although one's whose size was awkward to the convenience of the reader can be overlooked by its beauty. And I would truly recommend it to those who like mythoi/folklore, plants in general and/or are interested in art, especially as the book breaks down which of the three artists was responsible for the individual painting seen.
Unfortunately there isn't much to be said about the writing. There were times when the reader was presented with something beautiful such as the first story about the cowherd and the calf. In that example the reader was taken into a lovely story that conveyed them into an exotic world but one that still seems reachable to even us who don't live in the Gond homeland. At other times the trees were mentioned only slightly and not even a name was given them so the reader was left needing more but without a way of getting it.
Instead the book's true magic is within the illustrations that are presented to the reader. Although not seemingly realistic to the reader in either the presentation of the actual tree, humans or animals there is still a folkloric beauty when you look at these stylized trees. The colors, their simplicity, the attempt to give the reader a chance to ponder the beauty of the importance of the tree and the presentation in which one feels like they are in a forest since of the shadow of the last tree on the page before.
All in all this was a gorgeous book although one's whose size was awkward to the convenience of the reader can be overlooked by its beauty. And I would truly recommend it to those who like mythoi/folklore, plants in general and/or are interested in art, especially as the book breaks down which of the three artists was responsible for the individual painting seen.
April 30, 2011
The publishing company that produced this book wasn't lying when, in a blurb, they wrote that owning one of their books offered the reader a rare chance to own something that is "unique in concept, art, design, production and - most importantly - created by hand." Buying this off my friend who had just arrived from a conference in Hawaii seemed a bit impulsive at first but after flipping through these pages, I realized that I wasn't just buying a book but one so handsomely made it could have passed for art in a gallery.
There are a total of 19 trees featured in this book. All text appears on the lower left page of every spread while on the opposite page sits dazzling images of trees in full color against what was once black pulp. The book is nearly the size of a long manila envelope. It's hardbound with a dark blue colored cover, beige text with yet another image of a tree printed on it.
This post should have come with pictures but in their absence I hope your interest gets piqued by the description anyway. But that's not the best part. The images are best appreciated alongside the texts that describe these trees in a way that mixes the mythic with the natural world creating unforgettable characters out of these individual trees.
It's all very beautiful.
There are a total of 19 trees featured in this book. All text appears on the lower left page of every spread while on the opposite page sits dazzling images of trees in full color against what was once black pulp. The book is nearly the size of a long manila envelope. It's hardbound with a dark blue colored cover, beige text with yet another image of a tree printed on it.
This post should have come with pictures but in their absence I hope your interest gets piqued by the description anyway. But that's not the best part. The images are best appreciated alongside the texts that describe these trees in a way that mixes the mythic with the natural world creating unforgettable characters out of these individual trees.
It's all very beautiful.
March 14, 2017
What a gorgeous object! Each silk screened illustration is a work of art, evocative and mesmerizing. Stunning numbered edition that I couldn't pass up for my collection. Text is spare but full of the suggestive depth of folklore.
Read
February 7, 2022Intricate and visually stunning art, from the Gond tribe of central India. The limited edition book is composed of individually printed on thick black paper, silk screened with block prints. The tactile pleasure from holding the book is so satisfying. Great gift!
November 14, 2014
Lindíssimo!!
February 22, 2017
One of the most gorgeous books I've ever seen. To start with, there are three Gond artists who have made all the fabulous illustrations in the book. Although it's a story book about Indian forest trees and what happens in relation between themselves and all the creatures that inhabit them, the beauty of the book makes it very much an adult art book as well. In sum, it's a children's book for humans of all ages.
July 14, 2025
Gorgeous art and lovely, short tales. The overall production, including the darker color of the pages and, in the edition I picked up, the fact that you can see the discoloration on the backs of the pages where the pattering of the art has pressed against each other just make the whole thing a beautiful and lived experience.
September 20, 2017
Absolutely beautiful artwork!
April 22, 2021
LOVE IT!
September 26, 2024
すみませんが、内容とポイントは全然わかりません。
May 29, 2025
songs of moonlit trees, what’s not to love
May 27, 2021
I have to read? better contemplate this enchanting (in and with all senses) book. A birthday present for my wife (officaly) and a pleasure for me (inofficaly).
I did it with very much enjoyment - full of great art and poesie
I did it with very much enjoyment - full of great art and poesie
May 9, 2011
Gorgeous illustrations, moving content, a completely magical book. Though its hard to pick a favourite peice of folklore, a few that really stood out for me were; The Squirrel's Dream; Snakes and Earth; and The Tree of Twelve Horns. But the one that moved me the most by far was, The Home of the Creator.
"... The Peepul tree is so perfect, that seen against the sky, it seems to have the same shape as its own leaf. The detail is the same as the whole."
Now that is a tree I would like to see one day...
(Fun little fact: if you look at the back of your book, they write down what number copy you received. For example, I have the 1847th copy out of a total of 2000.)
"... The Peepul tree is so perfect, that seen against the sky, it seems to have the same shape as its own leaf. The detail is the same as the whole."
Now that is a tree I would like to see one day...
(Fun little fact: if you look at the back of your book, they write down what number copy you received. For example, I have the 1847th copy out of a total of 2000.)
January 18, 2012
According to the Gond tribe of central India, good fortune befalls those whose eyes meet a good image. Good fortune to those who are lucky enough to read this book, then. Silk-screened by hand on black, thick paper, every page of this book is an original numbered art print - and a pure delight to look at, to savour and to touch.
Trees with names as exotic and mysterious as Khirsali, Nagphani, Sembar, serpent goddesses, chameleons, birds and people, life and death... This book is a window on a world of forests and heavy rains, the perfect antidote to a dark, cold winter night, a spell cast on the reader.
Trees with names as exotic and mysterious as Khirsali, Nagphani, Sembar, serpent goddesses, chameleons, birds and people, life and death... This book is a window on a world of forests and heavy rains, the perfect antidote to a dark, cold winter night, a spell cast on the reader.
July 16, 2012
Gorgeous artwork, there is no doubt. But I found myself not really sure what the "stories" that accompanied that illustrations were about. There is definitely something to love about a book that is beautiful just to be beautiful, but I wish that the stories had been easier to understand. I don't feel like I could share this with a child and have them really appreciate it when I don't feel like I could even really appreciate it.
October 22, 2014
Brilliant and beautiful, this book is a pleasure to read and to behold. The art was exquisite line work in bright colors on black handmade paper. The ink had a presence. The narrative was poetic and told tales that blurred the borders between trees, humans, and creatures. For a blog post on other books by Tara press, see my blog: http://www.joycorcoran.com/2014/10/ta...
December 3, 2009
Wow! Stunning book! A piece of Art.
Short stories/folktales about trees in the Gond tradition. (India) Limited edition, hand numbered, hand made paper, hand printed pages, incredible illustrations. Black paper. 20 illustrations, 40 pages (44 with forward and title page)
I strongly suggest that you find a copy, or better yet, buy this book for yourself.
Book is published in India.
Short stories/folktales about trees in the Gond tradition. (India) Limited edition, hand numbered, hand made paper, hand printed pages, incredible illustrations. Black paper. 20 illustrations, 40 pages (44 with forward and title page)
I strongly suggest that you find a copy, or better yet, buy this book for yourself.
Book is published in India.
October 10, 2012
You will need several sittings with this books to truly appreciate its beauty and message. If you're going to look at these stunning paintings you might as well forget about reading. If you are going to read, make sure the goodness of every word seeps into your skin like a mud pack. Then go back and do it all over again. It is the only way.
April 17, 2014
A treat for the eyes... A book full of exquisite images of trees created by three gond artists. The images are paired with fragments of folk tales which i felt could be improved. This book, claims a piece of your heart by being a 'whole' beautiful something.
December 18, 2015
One of the most beautiful beautiful picture books I will ever own. The detail is amazing, and I was fortunate to take a tour of the silkscreening shop that makes these books, in Chennai India. Every page is maticulously silkscreened, giving a very tactile experience! Amazing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews