I created this project as one of the 20 selected global artists of the Flyway Exchange Program initiated by BirdLife Australia.
The East Asian Australasian Flyway (EAAF) is the route taken for migration by shorebirds who begin their journey from Australia to their breeding grounds in Siberia or Alaska. The EAAF consists of 22 countries and the artists belong to 9 different nationalities (I represented India). Read more about the exhibition here.
Print making papers were sent from Australia to be used by each artist to represent the idea of this unique migration of shorebirds. The papers were sent back to Australia with completed prints.
Australia to Alaska and back
One print by each artist was mailed to Alaska without any protection and brought back to Melbourne for exhibition. These withered prints represented the birds' exhausting journey.
Exchange of prints
Each artist received a print from the remaining other artists, a beautiful collection!
Parcel for me from Australia, sent by Kate!
35 handmade papers for printmaking. The papers were so good as if sent from heaven, No kidding.
Some ideas.
Being a communication designer, I wanted my work to send out a message. Therefore, instead of an abstract print, I decided to go for a comic strip that sends out a message.
Of course, I couldn't resist making patterns along the way.
And of course, I couldn't resist using my original pen drawings for a little break in between, which I could send to Kate as a gesture of thanks for letting me participate in this program.
There was absolutely no time for hand done prints so I had to send them through digital printers. Eeeks!
Ready to be sent to Australia, back to Kate!
Time spent at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in Singapore, one last time after my graduation before my final return to India. This place has been a true inspiration for me!
Words cannot express what this place has meant to me, probably this project kept me occupied enough in India and at the same time gave me a sense of continued connection to the wetland.
So this was the final design. This has been one of the greatest challenges to communicate a big idea without a specific given brief. This isn't my style at all. I use fine lines and have never made comics before with bold lines to draw my characters.
