Arthur Flowers, Jagdish Chitara
The Brer Rabbit stories were originally oral tales told by slaves from the American South. In this powerful rendering for children and adults, writer and griot Arthur Flowers re-tells them as wisdom tales for a contemporary audience, bringing them back to us as one of the sturdy roots of African-American literature.
This version also straddles storytelling forms– connecting the spoken and written word in surprising ways. The text is heir to the original oral stories, exquisitely illustrated by Jagdish Chitara, a ritual textile painter from Gujarat. Arthur Flowers then takes his stories back into the realm of the oral, with a musical spoken word performance in collaboration with a group of young Indian musicians.
Printed and bound by hand, this limited edition artists’ book comes with a music album and short film. This genre defying cross-media project pushes the boundaries of narrative art – inviting the reader (and listener) to explore through sight and sound, text and imagination.
Includes an audio CD and download code.
$ 29.95
In stock
| Weight | 320.0 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 250 × 205 mm |
| ISBN | 978-93-83145-46-1 |
| Pages | 72 |
| Printing | Riso Printing, Screen Printing |
| Binding | Hardcover |
| HSN Code | 49030010 |
Arthur Flowers teaches in the English Department of Syracuse University, USA. A native of Memphis and co-founder of The New Renaissance Guild, he is a performance poet who considers himself heir to the western written tradition as well as the African oral one. Click here to discover his other Tara Books.
Jagdish Chitara is a skilled folk artist from Gujarat, western India, working in the Mata-Ni-Pachedi style of ritual textile painting. Belonging to a traditional and nomadic group of artists from the marginalised Vaghari community, he has been practising this ancestral craft for over 40 years. Jagdish now lives in Ahmedabad, where he strings up his textile art for sale on a pavement. Click here to discover his other Tara Books.
Sarathy Korwar is a percussionist and composer born in the US, raised in India and now based in London. Sarathy has been trained as a classical tabla player, but is equally at ease on the tabla and drum-kit. His first album Day To Day was released on Ninja Tune in 2016 and features field recordings of Sidi musicians, who are descendants of African migrants in India.
Vinay Kaushal is a composer, guitar player and music educator based in India. He has been a student of music for as long as he can remember. He graduated from the Musician’s Institute, Hollywood which is home to the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in Los Angeles. He is the principal song writer of the Vinay Kaushal Collective, a vehicle for his own compositions, and also for the world music act Empty Café.
Gandhaar Amin is a composer, producer and flute player from Pune, India. Born into a family with a rich musical tradition, Gandhaar started learning Indian classical music on the bamboo flute when he was 5 years old from his father, Nitin Amin, who is a professional classical musician. He is currently based in Mumbai and is a partner in Ghar Baithak, an organisation working on spreading and taking classical music back to its roots of chamber music.
Tanuja is a graphic designer and illustrator with a focus on editorial, publication and identity design. Tanuja is also part of the team at Kabadiwalla Connect, an award-winning social enterprise based in Chennai, and leads design at Upcykle, a studio focusing on design and innovation with reclaimed and sustainable materials. Click here to discover her other Tara Books.
Catriona Maciver is a multidisciplinary designer from Scotland. After graduating in Graphic Design from Central Saint Martin’s College in London, she travelled to India to explore traditional artisanal craft and culture. It was this interest that led her to work for Tara Books in 2013. Catriona continues to work on book projects with Tara, while also running her own studio in South India. Click here to discover her other Tara Books.
