Illustrating innocence

As a child, Bandana Tulachan used to flip through illustrated pages of books left behind by Japanese tourists visiting her home.

She never thought she would become an illustrator, and even when enrolled in Kathmandu University’s Fine Arts program she was simply trying out different things.

“Drawing just became the thing that I loved to do, and I developed a personal attachment to it,” recalls the thirty six-year-old, who is now a much sought-after illustrator of children’s books. 

Tulachan loves to read children’s books even as an adult, and is convinced they are formative in communicating to youngsters the right values of tolerance, kindness and cooperation. She says, “As children, we simply read the books, but as we grow older we begin to see the wisdom embedded in them.”

Tulachan has seen for herself the immense power of storytelling, especially for children. Every book may not carry a grand lesson, but it exposes young minds to meaningful stories that reflect the world around them.

“Childhood is such an important phase of one’s life,” she adds. “If something I create can bring joy to even one child, then it is worth everything.”

Over the years, Tulachan has also grappled with the idea of Nepali identity in her work. Early on, she was often told that her illustrations needed more 'Nepaliness' but for her Nepal is not a monolith. The country’s cultural diversity cannot be restricted to a few visual stereotypes.

“Nepal has so many ethnicities, so many stories,” she says. “Instead of trying to homogenise it all into one identity, I explore it one space, one culture at a time.”

Her comics story Shanti: Beyond the Veil was inspired by the life of poet and activist Shanti Chaudhary with whom Tulachan spent three days at her hometown in Bara, walking through the places that shaped her life.

“She took me to her childhood home, her surroundings, the house she moved into after marriage,” Tulachan recalls. “It felt important to tell her story.” The work was selected for Goethe-Institut’s Movements and Moments Project for its representation of indigenous feminist activism.

Asked about her favourite work, Tulachan cites Sanu and the Big Storm, the very first book she both wrote and illustrated back in 2015, a challenge that initially terrified her. She recalls, “I wasn’t used to writing, and the process felt scary. But I had so much support to complete it.” 

More recently, Tulachan illustrated Little People Big Dreams: Tenzing Norgay. Having roots in Mustang, she has always felt a strong connection to the mountains. And after visiting Solukhumbu, she immersed herself in visually telling the story of Tenzing Norgay’s life with drawings that use the grainy tone of early photographs. 

“It felt like a full-circle moment, illustrating a story so deeply rooted in the landscape I cherish,” she adds. The text is by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and the book is published by Quarto/Frances Lincoln.

Looking back, she knows it is far from perfect, but seeing children recognise and love the book makes it one of her most rewarding experiences.

Tulachan sees exciting growth ahead for illustrators of children’s books with the rise of the art market and fresh, younger talent.

As for what the future holds, Bandana Tulachan is certain that more books lie ahead. “I want to make something amazing, something personal yet something that resonates with people,” she says.  

As Tulachan takes on more challenges, delving into animation and graphic novels, children’s book illustrations are still what hold a deep personal and emotional bond for her. And she likes it that unlike other writers or artists she does not have to explain her work.

Says Bandana Tulachan: “Whenever you create something, a part of you goes into it, but I don’t feel the need to explain my art. Whatever people take from it is theirs to keep.”

Read also: For children, about children, Ashish Dhakal