Yesterday I was looking for covers of Sandesh (Children’s Magazine), which, were designed by Satyajit Ray. Today I see this. “Although it premiered 60 years ago this week at the Museum of Modern Art, Satyajit Ray‘s Pather Panchali remains among both the most accomplished of debuts and cinema’s most universally relatable experiences. Accentuating the basics of human emotions to result in the most complex of reactions, Ray’s subsequent trilogy of films follows the hardships of a Bengali boy as he passes into adulthood, a delicately powerful tale of transition that’s now been gloriously restored.” BEST.TRILOGY.EVER. Now you can watch it on Amazon. That man was talented beyond belief – artist, movie maker, typographer, set designer, writer, storyboard artist…. anything in the arts- he had done it fabulously, and on a shoestring budget, no less – well…. hmm.. he didn’t act. More on the Trilogy here.
As a long time fan of scroll books and Studio Ghibli, I am expectedly taken in by their latest short inspired by a 12th century manga called Chōjū-Jinbutsu-Giga Emaki, or Scrolls of Cartoons of Birds, Animals, and People. It is one of the first shorts produced for Marubeni Power . The full short will air on April 1st, 2016. In the meantime enjoy 30 seconds of beauty.
The short was directed by Katsuya Kondo, character designer and animation director on Kiki’s Delivery Service and Ponyo, and producer Toshio Suzuki was the voice speaking the company name at the end. The background music is by acclaimed pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii and the tagline reads “There is a Japan I want to leave behind for future generations.”
Chōjū Giga, which depicted life as it was eight centuries ago through anthropomorphic animals, is recognized as one of the oldest known manga in the world. The emakimono, or handpainted, scrolls from which it originated are considered national treasures and can be found in the Tokyo and Kyoto National Museums.
Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata is a noted fan, alongside Hayao Miyazaki, and has written a book on emaki scrolls as well as drawing inspiration from them in making The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Scholars continue to debate whether this or the Shigisan-Engi- emaki can be considered the first manga published.
* 30% of profits from sales will go towards supporting the project, 30% to HeadCount, a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy, and 40% to me.
Aditi Raychoudhury. Tree of Life. 2014. Limited Edition Screenprint.
Daylight Savings started this week, and spring officially starts on my birthday, March 20th, which, is also International Day for Happiness? So I hope that you will enjoy this special treat of 15% off on my Tree of Life poster by using the coupon code TREAT2016 * from my Etsy Store.
Trees reduce the “Greenhouse Effect” and act as carbon “sinks.”
They prevent or reduce soil erosion and water pollution.
Trees reduce water temperatures and prevent or reduce bank erosion and silt.
Trees recharge ground water and sustain stream flow.
Properly managed forests provide lumber, plywood and other wood products on a sustained yield basis.
Trees significantly decrease noise pollution along busy thoroughfares and intersections.
During a 50-year life span, a single tree will generate $30,000 in oxygen, recycle $35,000 worth of water, and clean up $60,000 worth of air pollution!
Our planet is currently losing over 15 billion trees each year. Just one acre of newly planted trees absorbs 2.5 tons of CO2 annually.
Sustainer of life, cleaner of air, moderator of climate, and home to thousands of species, where would we be without trees? And, where would be we without the wisdom to honor them?
Inspired by stories of the Panchatantra, the parrots in picture, are a-buzz with these stories, passing them on from generation to generation.
The mother elephant relies on her legendary memory and wisdom to leads her family through the complicated jungle of life.
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The Tree of Life is a limited edition release of 50 prints. It has been hand drawn by me, and hand screen printed on 100 lb cover weight, archival, acid-free, sustainably made paper, using non-toxic ink by Bloompress, in Oakland, California . Each print is hand numbered and signed by me.
From design to materials to production, this is 100% US made, and using sustainably sourced and manufactured paper from French Paper and Domtar.
More than a hundred and sixty years ago, in this month, a man was born in the Dutch village of Groot-Zundert that may be best-known for being this man’s hometown.
The unexpected math behind Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” by Natalya St. Clair and Avi Ofer. 2014
Aditi Raychoudhury. Copy of Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. 1984? 1985?. Raurkela, Orissa. Gouache on Paper.Aditi Raychoudhury. Study for “Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh (with Candles)”. Chalk Pastels and Charcoal on Newsprint. 18″ x 24″.
A new animated movie, Loving Vincent, offers a fresh recreation of his life by painstakingly weaving oil paintings inspired by his work into an animated movie. This is the first fully painted feature film in the world, directed by Polish painter and director Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman (Oscar winner for producing “Peter and the Wolf”). The film is produced by Oscar-winning Studios Breakthru Films and Trademark Films.
Looks amazing, doesn’t it? I can’t wait to see it.
Most of these sketches are from when from when I worked as a Energy Efficiency Analyst and Designer and rode BART into the city. I stopped sketching after my first year or so of working, because I coudn’t find any purpose or meaning to them. Now, I wonder who they were? Where are they headed? What are they thinking? Most of all, they remind me of the diverse community I am proud to live in.
Aditi Raychoudhury. A Good Time to Read. 2000???. Pencil on Xerox Paper.Aditi Raychoudhury. A Good Time for a Little Make-up. 2000???. Pencil on Xerox Paper.
Where is he from? Where is he going?
Aditi Raychoudhury. Standing Man. 2000???. Pencil on Xerox Paper.
This man totally reminded me of my late father. What is he pondering?
Aditi Raychoudhury. Just Like my Dad. 2000???. Pencil on Xerox Paper.
A tableau of flowers representing the face of famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh is revealed at Museumplein, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
“July 29, 2015, is the 125th anniversary of Vincent van Gogh’s death. This past spring I fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams by taking a trip to Europe to follow in Van Gogh’s footsteps. As a teenager I checked out every library book about Van Gogh, and eventually read the unabridged three-volume set of letters he wrote to his brother, Theo. With so much time having passed, I was eager to see if anything from Van Gogh’s time had survived. Could I stand where he did and still make out the fields he painted, or would I be standing in the center of an unrecognizable suburb or, worse, inside a shopping mall?”
A tableau of flowers representing the face of famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh is revealed at Museumplein, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.