A hands-on workshop exploring a plant-based photographic process using light-sensitive pigments.

This workshop introduces participants to anthotype, a cameraless photographic process in which images are created using light-sensitive plant pigments exposed to sunlight. The term derives from the Greek words anthos (flower) and typos (imprint), referring to the process of creating images using natural pigments and solar exposure.

Led by printmaker Arpan Mukherjee, the workshop offers a practical introduction to this process, bringing together art, photography, and the natural sciences. Participants explore how plant pigments respond to light and experiment with creating images using materials from the natural world, discovering how plants can become a medium for photographic expression.

About the Artist:

Arpan Mukherjee is an artist and Associate Professor in the Department of Graphic Art at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan. A postgraduate in Printmaking from Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, he has been creating art and teaching since 2001. Drawing inspiration from history, chemistry, photography, and printmaking, his experimental practice explores materials and recontextualises past discoveries. His works often use satire as a means of social critique, encouraging viewers to question established norms and consider alternative perspectives.