Category
Workshop
Artists
Sangeetha Kadur
Date
September 4th, 2022
The Great Rifasa – Written by Rohini Nilekani and Illustrated by Sangeetha Kadur
Storytelling and Illustration Workshop. Join Sangeetha Kadur, as she tells the story of “The Great Rifasa” through her illustrations and leads children to imagine their own version of the story and illustrate it with her guidance.
Nothing seemed right in the Kabini forest — the monsoon hadn’t come and the human tourists in their safari jeeps seemed to have disappeared as well. The animals of Kabini get together to begin their own safari. A fun story, from a unique perspective, about the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Animals in national parks share a close relationship with humans, and are accustomed to humans encroaching on their homes for a glimpse into their lives. But what happened when nationwide lockdowns restricted humans from going on safaris and gave the animals unexpected freedom to move about as they liked in their natural habitat?
The Great Rifasa flips the usual outside-in narrative around, exploring the perspective of the residents of Kabini Forest in Karnataka and bringing to life the puzzled reactions of the forest’s inhabitants to the sudden disappearance of their regular visitors.
Storybooks on wildlife for children are important, because they spread the message of compassion and empathy from a young age.
Sangeetha Kadur’s exploration into the realm of wildlife and nature painting stems from a deep appreciation for both the natural world and the arts. She aspires to create work that emphasizes the importance of our rich biodiversity, and evokes pride and respect in our natural heritage. She has been working in partnership with wildlife organizations on various art-science projects and to help build awareness through education and outreach. She has illustrated for an international publication, ’Hummingbirds’, in collaboration with Gorgas Science Foundation, Texas, and few other wildlife fiction books and children’s books. As the main artist and curator, she has been actively involved with setting up a unique grassroots-centric Nature Information Center, “Holematthi”, at Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka. Sangeetha maintains a meticulous nature journal with sketches, doodles and little notes of observations during her travels. Combined by a strong urge to share her passion for creating art from the natural world, she co-founded ‘GreenScraps’, nature journaling workshops, with a hope to inspire a new generation of nature artists.
