Book Sketch : Habitats

 Some glimpses of a little project I am working on, on the side. Thinking about habitats, and how the animals around us our letting us live in their space, not the other way around. They were here first, and the sooner we understand that, the better.

Work in Progress: Book of Mughal Botanicals

This project has been a long time coming. I have been thinking about this and related ideas for a few years now. And for the past two years have finally put thought down to paper, and come up with the illustrations and some text for the final book. The book will focus on the plants that are indigenous to India–not traded or brought in by the British; plants that have no commercial value and were grown for their beauty and exuberance.

The book explores how our relationship with nature changed over the centuries with plants being grown for pleasure and later being traded for commercial gain. Our relationship with them and the world around us changed dramatically, and how we represented them in books, also changed.

Drawing inspiration from Mughal botanical portraiture from the 1600s, like the image above of Ustad Mansur's work, this book will have an illustrated section printed using wood engravings highlighted by brush strokes by a miniature painter. A reader will accompany this book, detailing the history of the book and the Mughal fascination for gardens and plants. 

 

ONLY 5 DAYS LEFT!

Tour in a nutshell:

This intimate look into India is for those who wish to see behind the scenes of various working artists and craftspeople. Augmenting visits to art and craft centers, museums, studio visits and workshops, participants will have a chance to observe traditional wood block carving and printing on cloth, experience in natural dyeing, a visit to a miniature painter's studio and engage in traditional as well as modern papermaking methods. Additionally, we will visit world renowned architectural treasures like the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort to immerse into the aesthetic landscape of India.

Dates: Dec 19, 2020–Jan 02, 2021.Deadline April 5
If you want to be updated on this, sign up for the mailing list here.

Deposit to secure your spot: 500 USD. 

Approximate Registration Fee: 3,500–4,000 USD (incl. deposit)

Length: 14 Days, 15 Nights

Arrive: New Delhi, 19 Dec 2020

Depart: Chennai, 3 Jan 2021

Artist Books at Offset Projects

Join me at Offset Projects to learn how to turn your ideas into editioned or one-of-a-kind books. This will be the first time I am offering a class of this nature. Serious makers are invited to apply. Click here for more information.

Dates: 13–15 March 2020
Venue: Offset Projects, GK1, New Delhi
Price: 12,500 INR inclusive of all materials. Participants keep binding tools.