#486 - Meera Mukherjee : Breaking Moulds
by Vaishali Shroff and illustrated by Shivam Choudhary
“Meera Mukherjee : Breaking Moulds” by Vaishali Shroff and illustrated by Shivam Choudhary. Published by Art1st and KNMA (Kiran Nadar Museum of Art). A charming book about the life of Meera Mukherjee, a pioneering sculptor, who creates art in her own style.
The book begins with Meera as a little girl sitting with her mother while the latter is decorating the doorway of their home with alponas. Meera finds the process of simple rice paste transforming into artistic alponas very fascinating. She views them differently at varying times. The patterns in it would stand out for her. She had found art or art had found her.
Meera went on to Europe to learn to paint. She started painting day and night after learning to do so like the famous European artists. She realised that she did not belong there. Her roots tugged at her making her come back to India. She went on a spree of destroying everything that she had created so far. She was going to start afresh. She was going to create art that challenged her. The paintbrush was replaced by a chisel and off she went. Read the book to know about her incredible art and journey.
The book is a masterpiece by itself. It is the most beautiful book that we have ever had. The artwork is stunning and one of a kind. My nine year old and I couldn’t stop feeling amazed by the artwork and the painstakingly done paper cutouts. The story of Meera has been beautifully narrated. Her transformation to what she finally became has been portrayed with an excellent choice of words. The powerful words and the artwork together create a magical effect. They bring Meera’s story to life. The second half of the book talks about what we can learn from Meera’s journey and how we can try to break the conventional moulds in order to give forms to our ideas. There are templates given at the back of the book to assemble our own sculptures. The book is definitely a treat for those who love to create art or appreciate art. Meera’s passion and the perseverance that she put in into the quest to find her true calling despite doing what she had always wanted to do is the highlight of her story. One cannot help feeling awestruck and motivated by her desire to observe, learn and carve a niche for herself by adding her innovative ideas to her creations of art. Meera received the Padma Shri award in 1992 for her contributions to the ancient sculpting art of Bengal. The book is part of the “Art Exploration Series” by Art1st. It is part of the short list for the Binod Kanoria Children’s Books Awards in the middle grade category this year.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 8/9 and above.