Graphic artists among the highlights of Indian Summer

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      Tonight, the annual Indian Summer festival wraps up with a dinner at a secret location organized by Vikram Vij and assisted by the dabbawalas of Mumbai.

      For me, one of the highlights of this year's Indian Summer was an exploration of the power of graphic art with Delhi-based author and illustrator Orijit Sen, Haida author and artist Michael Nicholl Yahgulanaas, and David Wong, author of Escape to Gold Mountain.

      I was fortunate to moderate the event, which was sponsored by the Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation.

      Yahgulanaas opened with a video version of his prize-winning Flight of the Hummingbird: A Parable for the Environment.

      Sen was up next, showing a breathtaking selection of his graphic art, including posters depicting global icons such as Nelson Mandela and Che Guevara.

      Orijit Sen injects tremendous contrast in black-and-white images.

      He could be called India's version of Joe Sacco because of his intensely progressive political work.

      The final speaker, David Wong, charmed the audience by explaining why he chose cartoons to illustrate racist history: it was the best way to reach the young.

      All in all, it was a terrific evening.

      A smaller version of Sen's massive Punjab Mural is in the lobby of the Woodward's Atrium until the end of the festival. There's still time to drop by and take a look. Below, you can see three sections of the mural, but you have to see the whole thing to capture it all. (Click to enlarge photos.)

      Orijit Sen's original Punjab Mural is 20 metres by 75 metres.
      Charlie Smith

       

      Punjab Mural depicts life across Northwest India.
      Charlie Smith
      A smaller version of the mural is in the Woodward's Atrium.
      Charlie Smith

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