Food for thought: an exhibition of cartoons, caricatures and sketches

NT Features

To give a fitting tribute to the departed soul of Anirban Bora who succumbed to severe Covid-19 on in May 2021, the Indian Institute of Cartoonists (IIC) is organising an exhibition of his works.

Venkatesh G Narendra, Managing Trustee, IIC says Bora, before his sad demise, was in constant touch with him and had expressed his willingness to have a solo exhibition at the gallery.”I had become an admirer of his cartoons. His cartoons had a fresh approach and resembled ones done by Mario de Miranda and Raobail (a legend from Karnataka). Bora had created a powerful new style that had become very popular among youngsters. He was a role model for young cartoonists,” says he.

Bora was an illustrator par excellence and a highly respected professional in the Indian media industry. The media fraternity was shocked when he passed away suddenly last year in Delhi. Press Club of India tweeted, “The PCI, with a heavy heart, announces the passing of our MC member Kalyan Barooah. He was the Delhi correspondent of the Assam Tribune and was a regular face at the club. He was a philosopher & guide to generations of journalists from the Northeast, especially from his home state Assam.”

Anirban Bora (June 1, 1978 - May 1, 2021) was an illustrator, a lifelong foodie, and a gregarious individual with a great sense of humor and a love of life. He brought all these aspects of himself together in the illustrated column “Indica Gastronomica”, published in the Sunday magazine of the leading business daily The Economic Times, where he was the Infographic Editor from 2013 to 2021, the year when Covid-19 cruelly took him away from the world.

His column explored the stories of foods popular across India - everything from sweets to kebabs - and presented it to readers as an illustrated short story. In doing so, over several months, he had created what might be described as a comic book of India’s food. He intended these columns to be a part of his artistic legacy. During his career, Anirban worked at Down to Earth magazine, published by the Centre for Science and Environment; the financial magazine Outlook Money; the business newspaper HT Mint, and the general newspapers Indian Express and Business Standard.

Born in Kolkata, he had a BA (Hons) in English from Calcutta University; finished a multimedia course at Jadavpur University with distinction; and earned a diploma (with distinction) in Art and Design from the London College of Communication. A keen observer of social trends and human behavior, Anirban has left behind a treasure trove of work on his personal accounts on Facebook (as Anirban Bora; Borialis; and Currycatures) and Instagram (as @anirbanbora; @boratimes).

He is survived by his Thailand-born wife Sirattiya Bora, a painter and an award-winning chef, and his son, Arwin Bora, now a student of DPS Newtown, West Bengal.

The World of Anirban Bora
When: May 7 - 28 10 AM to 6 PM (Sundays closed)
Where: Indian Cartoon Gallery, Off M.G.Road, Bengaluru