There probably couldn’t have been a more creative way of kicking off the seventh edition of India’s premier children’s literature festival, Bookaroo. Exactly a week ago, on November 11, a spectacular exhibition of the works of 10 of India’s premier children’s book illustrators went on show at the open air gallery at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
Curated in association with Vadehra Art Gallery Bookstore, the exhibition – titled Bookart – sought to celebrate the world of children’s book illustration and bring forth their creators. Several months of brainstorming and preparation finally paid off when enthusiasts poured into the gallery.
The lit-up gallery
The white walls came to life with lovely frames of colourful scenes and characters from the illustrators’ work. As the sun went down, the lit-up gallery looked like an island. Triveni Kala Sangam’s regulars too joined in and, as time went by, well into the evening, the gallery was abuzz with artists, their friends and family, children and parents.
It was a surreal feeling watching people walk around looking at the stunning spread. It was shadow play at work as seen from a distance. Bookart was purely a fun-filled gathering of happy, enthusiastic art lovers, illustrators and authors. While going through the art work at display, illustrators Priya Kuriyan and Anitha Balachandran remarked how significant this endeavour was.
Interview time: Anitha Balachandran (left) and Priya Kuriyan
The children who came in got a rare opportunity to meet – and mingle with – the illustrators of their favourite books and see them up close. With the book corner in the gallery stacked with books by the illustrators, the children picked up their favourites, lining up to get them signed. Some went up to the works of Ajanta Guhathakurta, Jagdish Joshi, Vandana Bist, Suvidha Mistry, Kavita Singh Kale and excitedly fluttered through the pages of their books to spot the one.
This year Bookart paid homage to the late Bindia Thapar, the illustrator extraordinaire known for her simple, yet breathtaking illustrations. The special retrospective of her work drew everyone like a magnet. The perfect culmination was when Leila Seth fondly remembered her association with the late illustrator and joyously remarked that she had to visit the exhibition for her friend Bindia!
By Ritwika Misra
Note: For those who want to catch glimpse of the work on display, Bookart is on till November 25th (Sundays excluded) from 11 AM to 7 PM. Check out the video on: http://indiapostlive.com/bookaroo-storytelling-children/
Bookaroo 
Leave a comment
Comments feed for this article