‘Becoming’: An exhibition that brought together 130 years of Indian children’s book art

In the charming picture book Nani’s Walk to the Park, little Venki is eager to get to the park. But Nani has other plans – she wants to take the scenic route, making several stops along the way. Venki doesn’t mind the slow route to the park, but he soon discovers that every stop unlocks a secret about the neighbourhood and Nani’s deep bond with it. A visit to the market becomes a stop at the Lane of Treasures. Feeding stray animals is a stop at the Lane of Happiness. And a quick detour to meet old friends at the Lane of Friendship.

It is hard not to draw a parallel between this book and “Becoming”: a seminal exhibition celebrating 130 years of illustrations in Indian children’s books.

Treasures hidden in plain sight

“Becoming”, curated by author and editor Richa Jha of Pickle Yolk Books, invites the audience to slow down, take a closer look, and discover treasures hiding in plain sight. One of the show-stoppers at the exhibition is a giant display of the map of Nani and Venki’s neighbourhood, and the same artwork broken up into a puzzle for visitors to put together. Artworks we are used to seeing in small picture books are enlarged and,...

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