SHOWCASE
/ ARTIST / 2026
| ARTIST: | Priyanka |
| COUNTRY: | India |
| CONTACT: |
https://www.instagram.com/the_pri_production/ panda.artsie@gmail.com |
| My name's Priyanka, and I am an artist from Bhopal, a quaint town in Central India. I love to explore by walking. That's made me found impressive places and people, so I record their stories in my sketchbook. | |
Cuisines of Bhopal - Sindhi food and more
This is a collection of illustrations I developed to help people understand the delicious heritage and history Bhopal, each dish has a story of origin. Like Sindhi Food, for example, Bhopal is one of the few cities in India, where you can get sindhi cuisine. Sindhi Food comes form Indus Valley (present day Pakistan), after the partition, the then Nawab of Bhopal, graciously allowed the Sindhi refugees to reside in his Great-Grandmother's Palace. And in return, the trading community of refugees brought their delicious food and prosperity.
Ambush at Kerwa Dam
This illustration is inspired by real life events. I was visiting the Kerwa Dam, in the outskirts of the city. During the monsoon, all the hawker stalls are filled with mouth-watering smells of Roasted Corn on the Cob. An aunty was selling out pretty fast, when she was approached by a cute baby Langoor (monkey), begging for some snacks, as she was shooing it away, two adult langoors snuck-up behind her and ran away with a handful of corns and a single flying chappal (sandal).
Gulmohar in Summers
Central Indian summers are usually very dry, except for the fire-ey red of the Gulmohar Flower, this tree is not native to India, but can be seen all around landscape, it blooms in summer, transforming the landscape into a beautiful bright gush of fire red.
Patias - The disappearing Foyer
I saw this doorway, while I was taking a walk in an older part of town, the owner of the house shared with me about the town's culture of 'Patiaas' ( stone slabs - usually place outside the house, to sit leisurely on), she told me about how every house used to have these Patiaas, built in and how it was an unsaid rule to come and have chai on Patiaas at sundown, people used to make social calls, gossip and sometimes even recite poetry. Most of these patiaas are now being replaced to make space for Parking, but a few people still keep the traditions alive.
Wildlife of India
This is a series of 12 illustrations of different wildlife of India, developed for a desk calendar, each showcasing a wildlife sanctuary and the animal it protects. Like Pench National Sanctuary, best known for inspiring Rudyard Kipling to write the Jungle Book, it hosts Tigers, Black bear, the endangered Indian Wolves, etc.
Navratri in KaaliBadi
Navratri is a 9 - day festival, celebrating the Goddess Kaali, made popular by Bangaalis ( people from west Bengaal), the idol that's worshipped is made fresh at the start of the festival and is submerged in water at the end. The festival did not hold a lot of meaning to me, till I got to know about the "Kaalibadis" ( special studios where these idols are built). This is the illustration I made when I first got to know about the ritualistic making of the Idol.
Gauhar Mahal by the Lakeside
Gauhar Mahal ( Palace) is named after the first female ruler of Bhopal, Gauhar. This palace is the perfect example of Bhopal's philosophy of Grandeur without the opulence. It's the first place in Bhopal, where I found artist's community alive and well, in the many fairs and showcases. This place and the community I found here is also the reason I decided to expand the reach of my art internationally this year, with BKKIF.
Rani Kamlapati Mahal - Bhoj Wetlands
This beautifully hidden Palace in the middle of the city is hard to locate, as it sits comfortably at the back of lush garden, and is also in actuality a Dam, separating two of the largest lakes in Bhopal. This 1000 year old Dam is the reason Bhopal is a huge wetland and place of ecological importance. I was very happy to discover this palace on a random Sunday with my sketchwalkers crew.