Talk Art Shop With Brilliant Illustrator Priya Kuriyan - Here's Her Story

From children’s books, short comics to animation, Priya Kuriyan, a Delhi based illustrator is full of stories we would love to hear. She loves airports, railway stations and metros, and finds inspiration anywhere she goes! Read on to know more about this ingenious illustrator.

Who/what is your main source of inspiration?

Most of my inspiration comes from observing people I see around me which is why I never get bored at airports, railway stations or riding on the metro. If one looks carefully enough, I think there are stories everywhere. I love travelling and it doesn't matter if the place is not the biggest tourist hot-spot.

I love looking at the work of other artists and illustrators and some who have inspired me are Shaun Tan, Emily Gravett, David Wiesner, Sophie Blackall and Oliver Jeffers. Graphic novelists like Marjane Satrapi, Chris Ware, Alison Bechdel, Kate Beaton and of course, I've always wanted to be able to draw like Toulouse Lautrec and Egon Schiele. Illustrators like Ajit Ninan, Suddhasattwa Basu and Atanu Roy definitely played a part in me wanting to become an illustrator. This list will not be complete without the mention of Mario Miranda. My work, I've realised, is also heavily inspired by Indian folk art like Gond and Madhubani.

What has been your biggest challenge as an illustrator?

Finding the space that one enjoys working in. Doing children's book illustrations was not exactly something many people find important enough or the most well paying, so, sticking to it was a challenge. But I think at the end of it, as I learnt, if one is patient, it really pays off.

Book covers you admire the most?

Being an illustrator myself, I have a soft corner for nicely illustrated covers. I have listed some below:

• Quiet by Susan Cain - It's a book about  introversion; its simplicity completely grabs your attention and somehow very effectively conveys what the book is about.
• The series of Penguin classics are very graphic, with minimalist use of just one object to convey the genre of the book. An example is the Zubaan book covers for their academic section. These covers are extremely sophisticated looking and reflect the cerebral content of these books well.
• I have to include the work of two of my favourite Indian illustrators - Prabha Mallya and Archana Sreenivasan. They capture the essence of the places these stories are set in so well!
• I love Archana Sreenivasan's cover for Teresa's man. There is a certain languid quality in Archana's illustration of Goa which is lovely!
• In Prabha Mallya's cover for 'Tales of Fosterganj' one can almost smell the crisp mountain air!
• The Silent History cover I thought was really clever. It conveyed the slightly disturbing dystopian theme quite well. Definitely something that would catch one's eye.

Which is a personal favourite from your own collection of illustrations?

It's difficult to choose, but I think among the picture books for kids I've worked on, I like Rooster Raga and When Ali Became Bajrangbali the most. I really enjoyed illustrating a series of book covers for Rupa Publications which contained stories of different genres for children. 

Among my sketches of Delhiites, which is part of my personal work, I think I like this one sketch of a man carrying many inflated/ colourful balls/balloons at the back of his cycle. I actually saw him pass by on a very crowded part of outer ring road. If you think about it, it's actually such a bizarrely common sight. He looked straight out of a pixar movie!

A funny travel story that you would like to share with us?

Well, this one is not exactly a 'travel' story. But I was taking a walk around Safdarjung's tomb the other day when I caught a couple defacing the walls of the mausoleum. I reprimanded them, but wasn't prepared for what came after. The couple apologised profusely as they thought I 'owned' the 'building'. I let them believe what they believed.

What according to you makes Delhi 'So Delhi'?

Its people and the long history that the city has. Delhi is such a melting pot of cultures. It can sometimes be harsh but it keeps you on your toes and one thing it is definitely not is uninteresting. There is a joke at every corner and it's most likely that joke would be on oneself.

Your favourite place for coffee in the city?

Hmm...I'm not much of a coffee drinker but  I still like the old world feel of United Coffee House in CP. Among the newer places, I sometimes drop in to Elma's if I'm around Meherchand market for their French press.

Which are your top 5 spots in Delhi to stretch and sketch?

I'm kind of shy about sketching too much in public, but I do take mental notes of people on the Delhi Metro (the process of sketching for me actually begins in the head). Lodhi Garden, Nehru park, India Gate & the Airport are a few places I like visiting often for inspiration.

Any advice to the aspiring artists?

Don't stop doing whatever it is you are doing. You'll only get better. Be patient with yourself and never compare yourself to another artist. As far as possible, leave the comfort of your home after school. It's easier to become your own person after that. Draw something everyday!

To know more about her, check out her blog on Delhi - pkuriyan.blogspot.com, as well as her professional blog - priyakuriyan.blogspot.com!