E-Paper
Telling stories through pictures: A striptease for graphic novel lovers
An exhibition of graphic novels in the city explores the evolution of storytelling from walls in ancient times to books in the modern day.
A story is best told through pictures. Present it in the form of a graphic novel, and you’re sure to have your readers hooked. This is what forms the crux of an ongoing exhibition in the city that depicts the evolution of graphic art — from walls to books.
Titled Telling Stories Through Pictures, it has on display six panels that give a glimpse of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to scenes from the Mahabharata and Indian mythology.
Read: Playing to the gallery: Collectors trace the Husain phenomenon
“We have tried to create awareness about graphic novels,” says Girija Jhunjhunwala, director, Campfire Graphic Novels, and curator of the show. She adds that graphic novels are another medium of storytelling and can also be a tool for education or classroom teaching because “the medium of graphic novels isn’t too daunting to read and the visual appeal is high.”
Even the struggles, triumphs and achievements of iconic figures such as Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi are explored through graphic biographies. “Stories have been there in the Indian context. Take for instance, Amar Chitra Katha. But in order to keep up with the times, one has to contemporarise them. When biographies of famous personalities are recreated in graphic format, readers find them interesting,” says Jhunjhunwala.
Read: Art that tells the tales of hope, hardships, willpower and hard work
In the mythology series too, the depiction of legends is in a new format, where the Kauravas and Pandavas are shown as new-age warriors. Their story, however, remains the same. Jhunjhunwala adds, “After a certain age one wouldn’t want to buy the same stories. But in this age of 3D, if mythology matches the style of today, it appears evolved and catches attention of readers.”
From one panel to another, the characters sketched on sheets of paper narrate old tales in a new avatar, intriguing viewers to search for graphic novels, on their next trip to the bookstore.
What: Telling Stories Through Pictures
Where: Central Atrium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road
On till: July 31
Timings: 10am to 6pm
Nearest Metro station: Jor Bagh on Yellow Line
Follow @htlifeandstyle for more.
