Drawing from the City

by Teju Behan

Overview

Folk singer and self-taught artist draws her incredible journey from rural poverty to a life in art.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789383145966
Publisher:	Tara Books
Publication date:	10/15/2018
Edition description:	New
Pages:	28
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 11.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

About the Author

Born in the village Van in Rajasthan, Tejuben is from the Paua caste of bards and mystic singers of Rajasthan. When she was 10, a terrible drought and famine forced the family to move away from the village in search of food and a living. They wandered around until they reached Ahmedabad, where the family lived in a makeshift slum. Tejuben met the artist and singer Ganesh Jogi there, and the two became childhood friends, finally marrying when she was 16.

It is very unusual for women in their community to sing or otherwise participate in public life. Tejuben has a fine voice, and encouraged by her husband Ganesh, she began singing along with him. They performed in restaurants and on the streets. Like Ganesh, she met the well-known artist Haku Shah. Tejuben initially copied her husband's style of art, but then learned to sit by herself and evolve her own style. From the beginning, she loved drawing women, and this has been her inspiration ever since.

Her first book with Tara is an account of her life, and how she evolved as an artist. It is set to a song composed by Ganesh and herself.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3–8—Presented in an elongated, oversize format, this intriguing book follows the life of Teju Behan, who grew up in a poor family of a lower caste in rural India. When a drought forced the family to the city, Teju married Ganesh Jogi, who supported his family by singing in the streets. But just as that street singing tradition was dying out, Ganesh met an artist who encouraged him to draw. Ganesh proved to be talented and encouraged his wife to try her hand at it. Teju did, and it was as if she has been freed from all the constraints of her life. Her art allowed her to be whomever she wanted, to travel wherever she wished, and to lose herself endlessly in her vivid imagination. This story documents her life both before and after she discovered her talent and serves as an inspiration to women everywhere. Her beautiful ink drawings rely on the use of dots and lines and are remarkably full of movement and life. The text is printed in brown to offset the black of the inked drawings. This is a wonderful book for art students or for those interested in exploring other cultures through art.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

School Library Journal

Art and design take center stage in this carefully crafted, elegant, artisanal book. This stunning autobiographical art book recounts self-taught artist Tejubehan's journey from an impoverished childhood in rural India, through her family's efforts to improve their lot in a tent city in Mumbai, and into her adulthood, when she lived as a singer and artist with her husband. The direct, unadorned text has an immediacy that reveals its roots as an orally narrated life story, which was then recorded in Tamil and translated into English. Hand–screen-printed illustrations comprised of intricate linework and patterns of dots underscore elements of the text without being strictly tied to delivering straightforward narrative. In this way, the book emerges more as an illustrated memoir than it does a traditional picture book with interdependent art and text. As a physical artifact, it draws attention to its creation with stiff pages and fragrant, tactile inks. The illustrations themselves are black and white, while the text is set in a sans-serif typeface in colors that change subtly from spread to spread. A unique offering that presents readers with arresting artwork and a compelling life story. (Art book. 8-14)

Kirkus Reviews