Turning a new leaf

Trees and plants give a purpose to Alisha Dutt Islam’s life. They help the young artist calm down and make sense of her existence. It could be true for anyone but then how many of us bask in nature’s glory? To Alisha, every part of a tree, every detail of a leaf or a flower, matter for she needs to translate them into her botanical illustrations.

Raintree, night flowering jasmine, oleander, gulmohar, copperpod, African tulip, blue butterfly rea, red silk cotton, palash, morning glory and bougainvillea adorn postcards, gift cards, small and large prints at her first exhibition, a pop-up at Forage in Bengaluru. In fact, the ambience of Forage with all its plants single-handedly raised by Omal Paul, complements Alisha’s works only too well. The works are on sale at the exhibition.

Alisha studied Information Design at Srishti College of Art and Design and planned to become a graphic designer. “During my last year at college I created an illustrated card game on trees of Bangalore — 10 native and 10 exotic trees in the city, which was the beginning of my journey as a botanical artist. The game was based on Monopoly. I felt I can do it for the rest of my life,” says the Kolkata-based Islam, who has also worked with designers - Anavila Misra, Nupur Kanoi and brands - Forest Essentials and The Burlap People.

The card game, called War of The Gardens told the story of Bengaluru transforming into a Garden city. “Of course German botanist Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel was integral to the story and then I found out that so many of the trees today in the city come from outside like the copperpod, raintree and gulmohar whereas in Kolkata, where I live, most of them are old trees but the canopies are thicker in Bengaluru."

The freelance illustrator and a former part-time teacher at a school in Kolkata, comes out with different series for occasions and places. For Christmas, she had done the common holly and for a show in Kolkata, Alisha had done a series based on trees of the city.

Simplicity, attention to detail and realistic portrayal are integral aspects to Alisha’s art practice. “There in lies the challenge as well - to make it artistically beautiful and to keep it accurate because I can’t play around with the anatomy of a leaf. Every leaf and every flower is different. There are no repetitions so I have to observe at which angle the leaves are branching out or how the petals are emerging from the stem of a flower. So, if I want to experiment, I do that by doing it in black and white, or lighter colours. On my Instagram page you will find my line drawings too.”

She also illustrates birds and animals like horse, octopus, starfish, sea horse, honey bee, king vulture, hawksbill sea turtle and blue fronted Amazon.

Alisha first draws the illustration by hand and then digitally paints over it but her love for watercolours comes across in her digital handling of colours too. “I do watercolours for myself. When you have to make so many it becomes difficult.”

The botanical artist has many projects up her sleeve now. Islam is already working on the next series of art prints, postcards and gift cards, inspired by succulents. With designer Nupur Kanoi, she is working on a line for Lakme Fashion Week and then there is a botanical garden in Rajasthan.

(The exhibition is on at Forage, Defence Colony, Indiranagar till May 6)