Illustrations by Niranjan Jonnalagadda

Paradise tree. Wallpaper illustration by Niranjan Jonnalagadda, India

Wallpaper illustrations by Niranjan Jonnalagadda, artist from India. Niranjan Jonnalagadda was born in 1967, into a family of artists. His father Shilpa-Guru J Gurappa Chetty taught his son Kalamkari craft. Niranjan successfully continues the artistic skills and family traditions, reviving the art and keeping the tradition alive. Kalamkari is the art of painting with a kalam or a pen on specially treated cloth. The main subject of Kalamkari painting – mythological stories. The painting is done with natural dyes, made from indigo, madder, as well as various other seeds and flowers. The process involves more than a dozen steps, among them – bleaching of the fabric, soaking it in animal dung solutions, using wax resist dyeing methods. Niranjan lives in Kalahasti and works from his humble space in the vicinity of the temple town.