A Tribute to 130 years of children’s book illustrations in India

Recently, New Delhi hosted a remarkable exhibition titled Becoming, curated by awardwinning children’s author and publisher of Pickle Yolk Books, Richa Jha. The exhibition celebrated 130 years of illustrations in Indian children’s literature, tracing the rich legacy from the late 19th century to the present.

The showcase featured over 100 illustrations from books published by 24 publishing houses, with artworks by 75 illustrators — both legendary and contemporary. Among the noted figures were Abanindranath Tagore, whose Khirer Putul (1896) is considered one of the first leisure reading books for children in India, and pioneers like Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, Sukumar Ray, and Satyajit Ray, who helped shape the visual language of Bengali children’s literature.

Rather than following a strict timeline, the exhibition was curated to reflect the evolving sensibilities, themes, and artistic styles in children’s books — the many “becomings” of identity, time, and space. Illustrations by late stalwarts such as Mickey Patel, Jagdish Joshi, and Pulak Biswas were displayed alongside those of contemporary artists, showcasing a vibrant and inclusive creative community.

A series of engaging events accompanied the exhibition, including curatorial tours, panel discussions, storytelling sessions, and interactive reading zones. Workshops were conducted for students and aspiring illustrators by acclaimed artists like Ruchi Shah, Taposhi Ghoshal, Suvidha Mistry, Mistunee Chowdhury, Habib Ali, and Shubham Lakhera. The exhibition also included special installations and a tribute wall dedicated to the early Bengali illustrators who pioneered this art form in Indian publishing.

According to Richa, Becoming was conceived as a celebration of the illustrators, designers, art directors, editors, authors, and publishers who continue to pour passion into creating meaningful and visually rich books for children. Plans were also underway to take the exhibition on tour across India, extending its reach to a wider audience.