Postcard: Mowgli Vintage Artwork

1984

An image from the original artwork for Akademi’s production The Adventures of Mowgli. This object is also available as an old A3 sized poster / photocopy. The image features a young Mowgli from The Jungle Book, surrounded by different flora and fauna, including a leopard and tiger.

Context

This image is from a poster for Akademi’s first national production in 1984, which was also the first Indian dance production to receive Arts Council funding. The artwork echoes the style of Indian Miniature Paintings, which are highly detailed and do not incorporate realistic perspective.

The Adventures of Mowgli featured current British dance artists such as Akram Khan and Shobana Jeyasingh and opened at Bloomsbury Theatre in 1984. The costume and props are now a part of Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection, as donated by Akademi.