The water that the crocodile lies in is dark green. A family of lucky fish is dancing around each other, and seahorses are protected by floating water plants … 

Waterlife features Mithila art, a vibrant and delicate form of folk painting from Bihar in eastern India. Mithila art originated from women living in rural communities. Even today, they decorate the floors and walls of homes with their strong traditional designs and symbols.

The artist Rambharos Jha grew up on the banks of the legendary river Ganga, and developped a fascination for water and water life. Early in his life he decided to follow the path of the female Mithila artists. He first interpreted the traditional motifs and patterns of the Mithila art, but later he has moved away from conventional subjects and started working with new colours and materials. 
Throughout his art work he reminds us how precious the world of water is. He frames his art with a playful text that evokes both childhood memories and folk legends as well as poems from classic Tamil literature.

Each book is entirely handmade, silk screen printing on handmade paper – fair trade, made in India.

The illustrator

Rambharos Jha (*1978) was born in Mithila, a region in the east Indian state of Bihar. He grew up on the banks of the legendary river Ganga.  As an artist, he sees himself in the tradition of Mithila art, which is known for its rich and decorating style – traditionally conducted by women. As a child, Rambharos watched the artists carefully, before he later started with his own paintings.  His work has been exhibited widely in India, as well as in the US, South Africa and Iceland. »Waterlife« is his first book, and has now been translated to German.