Renowned illustrator and designer Orijit Sen was in Delhi recently for the release of his new book, Imposter (Leftword), a curated retrospective of his four-decade-long career, showcasing his murals, comics, illustrations, and political satire in a single volume. Edited by longtime collaborator and managing editor, Leftword, Sudhanva Deshpande, the book offers younger readers and the wider public a chance to explore the breadth of Sen’s work beyond social media snippets.
“It’s not my book, but a book about me,” Sen explains, “bringing together a vision of my work over decades, from my college days at National Institute of Design (NID) to the present.”
Sen became a recognised figure in Indian visual storytelling after the release of his 1994 graphic novel, River of Stories, widely acknowledged as India’s first graphic novel. Rooted in the Narmada Bachao Andolan, the novel was more than a story—it was a political statement, a visual chronicle of resistance, and a pioneering experiment in the medium.
Documenting Narmada andolan
Sen recalls the genesis of River of Stories with vivid clarity. “I started working on it in late 1991, during my travels in the Narmada valley as part of the andolan,” he says. While walking along riverbanks, joining yatras, and visiting Baba Amte’s ashram, he gradually shaped the idea for a graphic novel. “Creating a graphic novel is a long-haul process. You have to be deeply involved with the story to go through it. This story inspired me enough to commit.”
Bringing the novel to readers was far from easy. “Nobody knew what a graphic novel was at that time,” Sen recalls. “Bookstores didn’t stock it, publishers didn’t publish it, and the media largely ignored it.” With a small grant, he self-published the novel and sold copies through People Tree, the collaborative studio and store he co-founded in Delhi with his wife and fellow designer Gurpreet Sidhu in 1990. Over time, People Tree became a hub for artists, designers, and craftspeople, helping Sen slowly distribute the book’s 800 copies.
Although River of Stories went largely unnoticed initially, its influence persisted. It wasn’t until a decade later, with the public attention garnered by Sarnath Banerjee’s Corridor, that the novel began receiving recognition. “People finally started understanding the medium,” Sen says, noting that for years he photocopied the book for readers who requested it. A 20th-anniversary edition released in 2021 finally made the work widely available.
Art of engagement
Throughout his career, Sen has consistently engaged with social and political realities. Inspired by the socially conscious music of Bob Dylan and his experiences in India’s grassroots movements, he believes that “good art has to engage with the world around it.” Yet he is aware of the tensions artists face: galleries, market forces, and societal expectations often dilute political expression. “Artists should have an independent voice,” he asserts. “The ability to create art is a powerful tool, and it should be used responsibly and meaningfully.”
Reflecting on the evolution of India’s art ecosystem since the 1990s, Sen notes that spaces like People Tree allowed artists, activists, and intellectuals to converge and collaborate. Today, while physical spaces have become harder to maintain due to rising costs, social media offers new avenues for dialogue and community-building. Emerging artists now use platforms like Instagram and Twitter to reach audiences directly, sparking conversations that previously occurred only in galleries or niche spaces.
Ideas man on the left
Sen’s political ideology leans left, influenced by Marxist and anarchist thinkers. He uses his art to communicate ideas rather than proclaim allegiance to any doctrine. Comics, murals, and collaborative projects allow him to reach audiences visually, bypassing the constraints of textual or linguistic debates. Notable works include the mural at the Pirasat-e-Khalsa Museum (2011–12) and his ongoing public mural project, Mapusa Mogi Mural in Goa, reflecting his belief that art should live in public spaces rather than behind closed doors.
The Narmada movement remains central to Sen’s creative and political consciousness. “Even when the news appeared in newspapers,” he says, “it never conveyed the scale, power, or tragedy of what was happening. That’s why I wanted to document it visually.”
Reflecting on contemporary India, Sen notes the increasing repression of artistic expression and the rise of right-wing politics. Yet he remains hopeful, pointing to grassroots resistance, social movements, and socially conscious artists leveraging digital platforms. For Sen, art is not merely a medium of personal expression, it is a tool to engage, challenge, and connect. River of Stories was just the beginning; Imposter now captures the full arc of his vision.