Pulak Biswas facts for kids

Pulak Biswas (born in 1941, died in 2013) was a very important artist from India. He was especially known for illustrating children's books.

About Pulak Biswas

Pulak Biswas was born in 1941. He studied art at the Government College of Art, Kolkata. After his studies, he worked for many years in advertising. This means he created pictures and designs for advertisements.

He was very talented. He even received a special award called a UNESCO fellowship. This allowed him to study more about graphic design and illustration. He learned new things in London at Hornsey College. He also studied in Amsterdam at the Rietvald Academy.

Pulak Biswas also showed his artwork in many places. He had his own art shows and joined group shows. These exhibitions took place in India and in Europe.

His Work for Children

In the 1980s, Pulak Biswas decided to leave advertising. He joined the Children's Book Trust in New Delhi. This organization helps publish books for children. There, he worked with the famous cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai.

Pulak Biswas became a well-known illustrator for children's books. In 1992-93, he won a National Award for Children's Literature. This was for his illustrations in the book Ashok's New Friend. Deepa Agarwal wrote this book.

He illustrated many other wonderful books, such as:

• Mahagiri
• Amma Pyari Amma
• A Day in the Life of Maya of Mohenjo-Daro
• Very Busy Ants (a wordless book)
• Hen Sparrow Turns Purple (which won a big award in Bratislava)
• Catch that Crocodile

In 1999, his book Tiger on a Tree won an award at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava. This book was written by Anushka Ravishankar. In 2005, Tiger on a Tree was even listed as a Notable Book by the American Library Association.

Pulak Biswas was also a painter. He spent his last years focusing on painting. He passed away on August 29, 2013.

Learn More

A film called The Man with the Magic Brush: Meeting Pulak Biswas was made about him. It shows an interview with Mr. Biswas and parts of his artwork. This film was shown at the World Book Fair in New Delhi in 2014. You can watch the film online here.

You can also find a short interview with Pulak Biswas on this website.