Nina Chakrabarti is a UK based illustrator who I first learned of several months ago while flicking through the book: Illustration Now Volume 2. I absolutely loved her illustration called the Wallpaper (see image above) there is something about it that makes it very endearing. Maybe because the setting is that of a home. It makes me think of the house of the Pakistani family in the film East is East (one of my favourite films) because of its vintage and South Asia-meets-Britain feel. The detailing is what I love the most of this illustration, all the little elements have so much to say. I believe I could spend hours observing this wonderfully busy composition whilst imagining the lives of the people who occupy the house this wall is part of.
What reminded me of Nina's illustration today was a visit to The London Graphic centre. While browsing through the lovely colourful shelves of art supplies I couldn't help stopping to take a look at the books. And there it was this pretty book cover made of recycled paper with fashion related doodles and fluorescent pink writing and it was Nina's new book! The shop assistant told me they only received it last week. Check out the cover below.
Nina in her website (http://www.ninachakrabarti.com/) describes it as 'a drawing and creating book for young girls' which I understand as being targeted for tweens. But I am way over my teens and I am completely thrilled with it, of course I had to buy it! The book is best described as a fashion related pass time book. Remember the kind your parents used to buy you during your holidays to keep you busy whilst waiting in airports, during long train journeys, etc. Well at least my mum used to get me loads of these and they were often made of recycled paper as well. Maybe its the nostalgia that made me buy the book. Anyway it invites you to interact with Nina's fashion world with colouring, joining the dots and many such activities. The book is so beautiful I am almost scared to start drawing in it in case I mess up but I will take the risk and fuse my fashion doodles with Nina's. Below I leave you with a few images from this lovely book.
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