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Her vast body of work shows experimentation with different media and a rich diversity of visual storytelling: from paper cutouts (The Mud Baby, Hakka Bakka) to two-colour silhouettes (Dhoop Khili Hai Hawa Chali Hai) to pencil drawings (Bana Banaya Dekha Aakash…, Saath Patto Wala Ped) to gouache and watercolour renderings in various styles ranging in a broad spectrum from abstraction and lyricism to realism and a faithful representation of the text. She uses muted palettes in some books, and vibrant ones in others.
What is most striking about Taposhi’s work is that she pays close attention to the specific context of the story, as a result her characters and situations are well thought out and her pictures are rich in detail.
At times, Taposhi brings the eye of a painter to her illustrations. Her impeccable use of colour infuses her illustrations with a beautiful, jewel-like quality. It is as if a painter’s brush is used along with a writer’s ability to create character and milieu for the story (Nasira Begum aur Makaan Malik, Chota Mallah Naseer). In Thakavat, Taposhi’s exquisite full-page colour paintings alternate with text, with detailed borders that echo distinct phulkari embroidery motifs of the Punjab region.
While depicting vignettes from the life of the artist Ram Kumar: Between the Lines, a book for young adults, Taposhi demonstrates her gift for draftsmanship, her striking sense of composition and skill in the art of pop up. Her magical cover for the important book, Children’s Books: An Indian Story is another example of her versatility. Through the variety and diversity of Taposhi’s imagery, her artistic intent, her sensitivity to each character, the context and setting of the story comes through clearly.
As faculty at the Riyaaz Academy for Illustration, she inspires young illustrators and carefully shepherds the work of other artists in her role as Art Director for Cycle magazine. Long years of engagement with children from different sections of society through NGOs has helped bring new depth, sensitivity and a distinctly Indian appeal to Taposhi’s illustrations of people, animals and nature.
Taposhi’s commendable body of work continues to captivate, enrich and serve as a lighthouse for Indian children’s illustrators to derive inspiration and flourish in the years ahead.
