Japani Shyam was named by her father, the renowned Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, after one of his favourite countries, Japan. Under his guidance, she began to paint at a very early age, and in 1999 at the age of 11, she won the Kamala Devi Award for her work.
In her work, Japani Shyam attempts to bring to the forefront the different moods of animals, their struggle to sustain themselves and survive in changing environments. Born and brought up in the city, her perspective on Gond beliefs and ritual is slightly distanced and different from those of her parents.