A ringside view with cartoonist Abu Abraham

Abu Abraham | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Abu Abraham was born on June 11, 1924, and his career as a cartoonist grew alongside India. Having worked with foreign and Indian publications during a career spanning six decades, Abu had the unique opportunity to chronicle events as they were taking place in a world that was remaking itself after colonialism.

“Since this is the centenary of his birth, we thought it would be great to bring out his cartoons again – so that people who knew him can see his cartoons again and for those who didn’t know him, it would serve as an introduction,” says his Bengaluru-based daughter Ayesha Abraham, who has curated the show.

“I have been preserving his work since he passed away in 2002. Abu preserved everything he created, including rough drafts, and insisted editors return his sketches after they were published. He knew the value of original artwork.”

“Although we have done exhibitions before, this is a unique one as we will be showcasing a lot of work that has not been seen before, especially works from the early years. It also shows his growth as an artist and a person. Viewers can also see the corrections he made to his drafts,” she adds.

The exhibition has both a personal voice and a national voice, with historian Janaki Nair writing articles about the socio-political climate of the time. “He always wore the hat of a journalist, but his tool and word of communication were his paintings,” says Ayesha.

“He sketched all the major people of his time. This was an era when political cartoons played an important role in newspapers, because they provided a commentary, a kind of visual analysis that more people could see.”

While a photograph captures a fleeting moment for posterity, a portrait captures not just an expression but also its underlying emotion. Abu was an avid reader and traveller who could capture the irritability of leaders or their complacency or stubbornness with a neat stroke of his pen.

“He had a tremendous ability of observation and would paint without any preparation, right on the spot and present it accurately. He followed all the prominent personalities of his time and had a deep understanding of political values. He used his privileges as a journalist and a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha to reproduce what he saw happening around him. His view was not distant but rooted in reality,” Ayesha adds.

According to Ayesha, Abu had a strong sense of being an Indian. Though he left Kerala at the age of 17, his life had taken shape there and he eventually returned, spending his last years in Thiruvananthapuram.

“He made daily sketches – not just of people, but also of markets and landscapes – always in black and white, never in colour. Abu worked with Pentel pens on paper, later using Indian ink and a Chinese brush to create the final version on translucent paper. Even in the last part of his life, he wrote at least one column a week as a political commentator.”

Ayesha began working for the show in November last year, shortlisting sketches from a vast collection of works specific to each state, apart from those of national interest. With over 100 works on display, the show will also include her columns, notebooks and sketchbooks. She says plans are afoot to immortalise her drawings in a book.

Abu’s World, which has already been screened in Kochi and Kolkata, will be on display in Delhi in November. The show will be on display at the BIC from August 23 to 26. Entry is free.