Cat Talk: Artist Anpu Varkey on her latest comic book

The comic book has no text. Was that deliberate?

In it, sounds almost act like a character. I have included sounds that Jaba makes and those from surroundings like a bell ringing. I have told the story through visuals to take it out of the reading context.

How different was the experience of drawing for a comic book as compared to painting on the streets?

A mural is a static image. In a comic book, you have a narrative and you can play around with form. In smaller works, there is more detailing and composition, and it’s more private. This is an extension of my work.

Do you think with the onset of the first St.Art Delhi this year, more people are appreciating street art?

It is not that sudden. People did notice street art in 2008 and 2010 during festivals. It is a gradual evolvement. It has given the public a different understanding of looking at urbanscape. When people saw the cat mural in Shahpur Jat, many asked me to do it for their walls. It was the first time we worked with a government body and it gave us instant recognition. Even with the Gandhi mural at the Police Headquarters in ITO, among the cops, there is a search for understanding. It is challenging people’s perception.