Client: National Biodiveristy Authority of India
Role: Author and Illustrator
Design Synopsis: Research, Character Design, Mapping, Storytelling, Illustration, Exhibition Design
Background: The Land Where The Sticker Tree Grows is a storybook for the National Biodiversity Authority of India, housed at Design, Law and Environment Laboratory, Srishti. It reflects the monocultures of urban landscapes and invites the reader to look closer in their cities for signs of environmental degeneration and opportunities to include biodiversity with small changes in lifestyle. The story is told by various characters - a monkey wondering why apples have stickers on them, an old jute bag, a pigeon, a plough and a farmer’s son turned migrant worker.
Role: Author and Illustrator
Design Synopsis: Research, Character Design, Mapping, Storytelling, Illustration, Exhibition Design
Background: The Land Where The Sticker Tree Grows is a storybook for the National Biodiversity Authority of India, housed at Design, Law and Environment Laboratory, Srishti. It reflects the monocultures of urban landscapes and invites the reader to look closer in their cities for signs of environmental degeneration and opportunities to include biodiversity with small changes in lifestyle. The story is told by various characters - a monkey wondering why apples have stickers on them, an old jute bag, a pigeon, a plough and a farmer’s son turned migrant worker.
The story starts in a landfill, and progresses into farmland, a big city, its supermarket and its multi-storeyed apartments to follow how food transforms from a natural resource to an industrial commodity as it reaches our plates.
The protagonist of the story is Long-Fingers, the curious monkey. His adventures to the big city touch upon some important themes that are a result of loss of biodiveristy due to our disconnect from nature. These are - monoculture farming, lack of quality nutrition, capitalism of natural resources, invasive species, migrants and ecological refugees.
The final storybook 'The Land where the Sticker Tree Grows' was first exhibited at the Srishti Graduation Show of 2013, and then officially launched by the National Biodiveristy Authority in Delhi. 2000 copies of the storybook were printed in English and shared with the audience
Chief guests at the event included Hon. Mr. Elvind S. Homme, Ambassador of Norway in India, Rajeev Sethi, India Heritage Foundation, Dr. Ramasamy, Secretary of the Department of Science & Technology, Dr. Hanchinal, Chairman of the Plant Variety Protection & Farmers’ Rights, and Dr. Balakrishna Pisupati, Chairman of the National Biodiversity Authority.
The storybook was later translated in Assamese by the State Biodiversity Board of Assam, in May 2014.
The storybook was later translated in Assamese by the State Biodiversity Board of Assam, in May 2014.
