As an homage to my interest in Indian mythology and ancient scriptures, I worked on a series of linoleum printed scrolls based on legends and stories from the Puranas that caught my attention. After working on the Hanuman scroll (another project based on mythology), I was keen to develop more linoleum prints on fabric, as the tactility and patchy quality of the visuals with this medium really appealed to me.
I began by picking 3 stories from the Hindu Puranas that I was interested in. They were the birth of Kartikeya, the meeting of Bheema and Hanuman, and how Ganga came to be called Jahnavi. When visually representing the stories, I used imagery that stood out to me in each, and represented them abstractly in the composition.
An example of the initial sketches I made, with a rough layout of the design.
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Since I wanted the prints slim and rectangular, the design was laid out over two sheets of linoleum and carved.
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The first scroll, based on the birth of Kartikeya.
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The second scroll, about the first meeting between Bheema and Hanuman.
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The final scroll, based on how Ganga came down to Earth from the heavens, particularly how she got the name Jahnavi.
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The prints packaged in handmade paper for gifting purposes. The stamp at the back of the tags is the symbol for the throat chakra, a metaphor for communication.
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These are the tags I attached to the packaging of the prints, to give the receiver an idea of the concept behind this project and a background of the stories represented.
