Botanicals and the Book: A Look Inside the Paper Gardens Catalogue

Developed alongside the exhibition of the same name, the Paper Gardens catalogue brings together over a hundred botanical illustrations from the 17th to the 20th centuries, tracing encounters between plants, artists, and institutions across continents and styles. Featuring essays by art historian Dr Holly Shaffer, botanist Dr Henry J. Noltie, and writer Sumana Roy, the book approaches botanical drawings as living documents.

Varun Nayar, Director of Impart and co-editor of the book, will be in conversation with the book’s designer, Tania Singh Khosla, to discuss the possibilities and challenges of working with botanical illustrations in book form.

Referencing her vast expertise with publication design — including past catalogues for MAP — Khosla will delve into the mechanics of working with such artworks; discuss the narrative and aesthetic choices that informed her approach; and reflect on how the book’s structure expands on the themes of the exhibition.

The exhibition, ‘Paper Gardens’, marks the continuation of a sustained, years-long collaboration between MAP and Impart — an online platform fostering greater public engagement with the art and cultural histories of South Asia.