Ekata Mandal, a children’s book illustrator from India, loves to draw with soft watercolor washes and a few ink strokes. Her art knits stories together for young readers and their caregivers to enjoy.

Ekata believes in ‘the art of noticing’ and draws creative inspiration from the simple, beautiful little things that surround her all the time. Whether it’s an everyday scene, the ways people interact, or an element of nature that capture her attention, she tries to bring those special details into her work.

When not drawing from the world around her, Ekata loves painting fairytales and folklore from around the world.

Despite holding a MSc in Biotechnology, she learned oil painting as a child from her grandfather, who was also an artist. She couldn’t deny her growing passion for traditional painting and finally took the leap to become an illustrator in 2020.

Today, she finds peace among her art tools, sitting in the lap of nature–with birdsong and flowing water around her. Her work is a reflection of these things together.

Ekata is represented by Alex Gehringer — to work with her please email Alex