Bugs, Beasts, and Branches

We create a Tree of Life and populate it with birds, insects and fantastical creatures.

Suitable for adults and children aged 6 and above. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Each participant, including children, requires individual registration. Walk-ins are welcome, subject to availability.

Please note that the workshop will take place on the Upper Platform.

The workshop is conducted in English with Russian translation.

In many cultures, there exists the image of a tree connecting heaven and earth, symbolising life, death, and rebirth. Ancient Slavs worshipped the oak and called it Perun’s tree; in Norse mythology the sacred ash Yggdrasil was considered the foundation of all worlds; whilst in Arabic, Persian, and Indian legends features the great Waq-Waq tree with fruits bearing the faces of humans and animals, whispering in the wind.

Session timetable

12:00–13:00
13:00–14:00
14:00–15:00
15:00–16:00

Illustration: Anindita Bhattacharya

In this workshop, Indian artist Anindita Bhattacharya will present the Waq-Waq tree as a metaphor for a complex ecosystem with its internal interconnections. Participants will be able to expand upon her image: adding insects or fantastical creatures to the branches, inventing for each its traits, superpowers and fears, and learning to work with layered stencil compositions. In addition, through the artist’s own works, we will explore techniques and methods traditional to Indian culture, such as miniature painting in gouache on handmade paper and hashiya—the use of an ornamental painted frame around an image or a text.

Workshop leader

Anindita Bhattacharya is an Indian artist. She studied in Rajasthan and in London and has taken part in international exhibitions. Her practice is rooted in myths, memory, and ecological themes. By using ornamental motifs and intricate layering, she creates images in which beauty is entwined with destruction.