Stepping into the P.L. Deshpande gallery at Ravindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai offers an immediate escape from the daily rush of errands and obligations. Inside, an exhibition titled Becoming envelops visitors in an illuminated storybook world, featuring a diverse collection of children's book illustrations curated by writer and Pickle Yolk Books publisher Richa Jha.
The exhibition space brings together more than a hundred illustrations spanning 130 years of children's literature. The works represent 65 illustrators from India and internationally, alongside publications from 25 different publishing houses. Large canvas prints display everything from contemporary artwork by creators like Poonam Athalye and Sunaina Coelho to historical reproductions, including an 1896 illustration from Abanindranath Tagore's Khirer Putul, believed to be the earliest printed illustration in a leisure-reading children's book in India. Early black-and-white works by Nandalal Bose, Sukumar Ray, and Satyajit Ray are also featured on the gallery walls.
According to the curator, the concept behind the exhibition revolves around the idea of growth and change. Every piece touches on a story of becoming, reflecting the development of people, relationships, interests, cities, and the natural world. Transporting the massive collection required significant coordination, involving gathering digital files and permissions from various authors, publishers, and illustrators, printing large-scale canvases, and shipping the entire exhibition in a 20-foot container from its initial opening in Delhi to Mumbai.
The displayed books span a wide array of topics that resonate with young readers and adults alike. Sections of the exhibition highlight biographies of notable artists, stories tackling previously taboo subjects like menstruation with empathy, and narratives focused on trees and environmental conservation that hold particular relevance for children growing up in delicate ecosystems such as the Himalayas. For visitors, the immersive experience provides a quiet space to reconnect with the wonder of picture books and storytelling, even if only for an afternoon.