filled paintings of Turner, early David Hockney and to Russian iconographic painting.
When did you realise you wanted to be an illustrator, and how did you make that happen? Did you have role models, teachers, family who encouraged you?
Nina Chakrabarti.
One book I remember vividly was The Firebird, illustrated by Ivan Bilibin. I pored over its illustrated borders and richly decorated pages. I would love to get my hand on a copy today as we had to leave all our books behind when we moved.
When I got to London, the chaos, noise and colour reminded me instantly of being in Calcutta. I loved Chinatown and Brick Lane and anywhere I could find foreign supermarkets. I was fascinated by unusual food and was
forever collecting packets of noodles or strange cans of stuff for the packaging. I moved to England in my early teens, which is when I discovered TV – I was stuck to it like glue! I loved watching old Hollywood black and white films, nature documentaries and programs about music. I considered this just as important as going to school, perhaps more so. I only became aware of the world of art in my last years at school. I’d go up to the National Gallery in London with my friends and be drawn to the light
Art was my favourite subject at school but I had no idea it could lead to anything resembling a career. I applied to art college because a friend had gone to one and it looked like a lot of fun. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to go to art school in the days of full grants (scholarships). Being at art college was instrumental in deciding that I wanted to pursue a creative life but I still had no notion of how it (art/ illustration) worked in the real world. After I graduated from St Martins, I had to support myself doing other jobs for years. Going to the Royal College gave me confidence. The timing seemed right too, art directors were commissioning a lot more illustration. I finally made the leap and started paying rent for a studio in London, sharing the space with other creatives. That was a really special time, sharing with wonderful designers and illustrators, a time of creativity and sharing ideas.
Thinking back to those early influences from India, and your mixed heritage – does that influence your style? Is it subconscious, or have you made a conscious decision about how you want to create and where you draw inspiration from. When I was growing up, being of mixed heritage was perceived to be a disadvantage. Not belonging fully to one culture or another could be isolating at times, but what it did give me is a different understanding of the world. It helped me develop an outsiders eye. I started to realise my experiences – in having Indian and British families and a foot in both countries gave me a unique insight.
With art, there were influences from both cultures: India gave me a love of Kalighat paintings, the handmade, and a love of colour and textiles. The west had pop culture and pop art – I fell in love with Andy Warhol’s illustration and line quality and came to appreciate a graphic sensibility. My first book, My Wonderful World of Fashion drew on these multi-cultural influences with pages talking about decorating your hands and feet with henna, African textiles (I have a Nigerian and Ghanian side to my family too!) and celebrating punk jewellery.
16 PEN&INC. Autumn-Winter 2022
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