To the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.
– William Blake
Artists from the indigenous Gond community in central India have a special relationship with trees. Trees are an everyday connection to the natural world – as well as exceptional beings imbued with an innate spirit that contains multitudes, both real and imagined. Their branches provide shelter to animals and their leaves rustle with stories.
This set of art prints depicting trees from Gond lore has been rendered by three of the finest Gond artists living today. Originally featured in our bestselling book The Night Life of Trees, the five prints in this collection are an ode to the imagination, rendered in exquisite line. The updated monochrome palette casts a new light on trees – both familiar and fabled – that is versatile enough to fit into any home, while being sure to stand out.
Each print has been beautifully silkscreen-printed by hand at Tara Books’ workshop, which is run on fair trade principles. The handmade paper used is locally sourced and recycled from cotton waste. These production techniques add texture and dimension to the sophisticated yet earthy art, creating a collection that needs to be seen, touched and savoured.
Read a blog post by Gita Wolf and Divya Vijayakumar – Tree Covers: The Night Life of Trees Keeps Growing – that explores the journey of our classic handmade title featuring luminous art and stories from Gond folklore. The Night Life of Trees is in its 15th English language edition and still counting…
