KOCHI : It’s Abu’s World. And, you are welcome to revel in it.
Cartoons have always exuded an esoteric charm that nudges us into a parallel microcosm. They make us think. The minimal strokes often hold heavy truth.
Attupurathu Mathew Abraham aka Abu Abraham was a master at the art. He savoured each stroke and shade as he held a mirror to the political flux of his times.
Be it the Emergency or the Vietnam War, Abu’s cartoons touched upon issues that affected humanity.
Abu was among the doyens who shaped the Indian landscape of political satire. He did that with ease, and his works connected with the masses,
Born in 1924 at Mavelikkara in Alappuzha, he began his illustrious career with the Bombay Chronicle. Later, after a stint as a freelancer with the Blitz, he joined the famed Shankar’s Weekly.
In 1950, he flew to London, where he spent 10 years as a cartoonist with the Observer and the Guardian. On his return to India, Abu joined the
Indian Express, which published, probably, the finest of his works.
“He was one of the trio — O V Vijayan, Rajinder Puri and Abu — who shaped the Indian editorial cartoons. His works were powerful in the politically fiery ’70s,” notes popular cartoonist and writer E P Unny, who grew up marvelling at Abu’s works. “Abu was one of the finest chroniclers of the Indira era.”
Abu was deeply political and very global, he adds. The legendary cartoonist was also known for sketches that he created during his travels around the world. “With minimal lines, Abu said a lot,” says Unny.
Ayisha Abraham, Abu’s daughter and an artist, remembers her father scribbling away during their travels. “He always had a sketchbook with him,” she says.
After his death in 2002, Abu’s works were treasured by Ayisha and her sister Janaki Abraham. “He used to keep all his works with him – all his cartoons, sketches from early days, innumerable drawings. He preserved them,” says Ayisha.
“After his death, Janaki and I knew we were bound to display them to the world. Now, with his centenary coming up, we decided to do a retrospective.”
About 300 cartoons, sketches, notebooks... ‘Abu’s World’ comes alive at Kochi’s Durbar Hall from March 22.