Artist Member
Warli Tree Book
4 x 6” (Closed)
The paintings in this book were inspired by art of the indigenous Warli tribe, from the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. It is believed that the Warli carry on a tradition stretching back to 2500 or 3000 BCE. The Warli culture is centered on the concept of Mother Nature. Having been brought up in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, I was exposed to this art since I was a kid. For this book, I used the brand “Khadi Papers” made in India from cotton, grown in the state of Karnataka. The word “Khadi” means hand-spun cloth, but unlike your average cloth, the word “Khadi” holds a very special place in India’s movement towards freedom and independence. The passage written in sumi ink, is an excerpt from Katherine May’s book, Wintering.
The background for the trees is watercolor and the trees are done with a pointed pen using a combination of Dr. Martin’s Bleedproof white and white gouache.
The Warli Tree Book was featured in the 2023 Annual Juried Issue of Letter Arts Review, 36:4
Freedom Book
My book focuses on Gandhi’s vision for a free India. Gandhi envisioned ‘Swaraj’ as a holistic concept of economic, social, and spiritual independence. He believed in empowering people to govern themselves, relying on non-violent civil disobedience to challenge oppression.
The cover reads, ‘Swaraj’ in Devanagari script. The book with its three layers and colors lends itself to the colors of the Indian flag. The orange layer has a subtle suggestion of the word ‘Swaraj’ written into the background with Devanagari script and suggests the dawning of a Free India. The white middle pane has monoprints of old newspapers from 1947 in English, Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati, that speak about India’s freedom. The cutout silhouette reflects major landmarks, both ancient and contemporary, reflecting the emerging New India. Gandhi’s words on Swaraj from his publication, ‘Young India’ are depicted in calligraphy on the bottom green pane using some of the inflections that I noticed in Gandhi’s own handwriting, to honor him and his movement towards freedom.
To see the full book with details, click on this video link HERE
Garden Book
6.5 x 4.75”
This book is made using envelopes with quotations of flowers and Spring rendered in different italic variations. The calligraphy was done with Mitchell nibs using ink and gouache. The other side of the envelopes have images of flowers from my garden. For it to look like an “envelope” book, I used U.S. postage stamps with gardens and rubber stamped them to look almost real!
Nita Padamsee 
Instagram @nitaletterarts
BIO
Nita is a graphic designer and calligrapher, residing in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. She came to the USA in 1986 after graduating from the Sir J.J. School of Applied Arts, in Mumbai, India with a BFA in Graphic Design. She also studied and graduated from Boston’s New England School of Art & Design in 1987, with a Diploma in Graphic Design. From 1987 to 1992 she worked as a designer for Clark Linsky Design in Boston. Over the years, she has exhibited her work in group shows with Masscribes and at several international calligraphy conferences.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
For almost 30 years (1992-2021) I was the business and office manager for my husband’s dental practice, in Wellesley, MA. I kept my love for calligraphy and the book arts alive, by studying with several calligraphers and artists, like Suzanne Moore, Thomas Ingmire, Pamela Paulsrud, Rosie Kelly, Carl Rohrs, John Stevens, Michael Clarke, Massimo Polello, Yves Leterme, Reggie Ezell, Monica Dengo, Denise Lach and several more.
I have been a member of Masscribes, a calligraphy organization in New England since 1988 and was the Workshop Coordinator from 2011-2021, organizing courses for the organization with local, national and international tutors.
Since making my first Japanese bound book in 2011, I was hooked on to bookmaking, and have taught myself to make several other book structures.
Having been born and raised in India, I am always trying to weave the artistic traditions of east and west, using the Devanagari script, Indian art forms and western calligraphy. Being a letter lover at heart, my books have always consisted of calligraphy or letterforms, be it abstract or literal in nature. I pick quotations or a paragraph that have meaning to me and find the best way to render them, be it a broadside or a book.
Looking forward to being inspired after finding NEBA in late 2022! A new journey has begun and I’m excited.