What's in my... ...study?

One of the first things we notice in Bulbul Sharma’s home, in Delhi’s lush Golf Links area, is that it provides immense serenity and plenty of sunshine. We make our way to the writer-painter’s studio that’s on the terrace of her home and are next ushered into her study.

Her study, says the celebrated artist, is cluttered and crammed with books but is also a space that attracts everyone. “There are times when my house guests insist on sitting in the study while I work on my laptop,” she says. “Somehow,” she adds, “most people find my study the most comfortable space in the home.”

Pictures galore

The first thing in the study that we notice is a striking black-and-white portrait of Sharma by celebrated photographer Prabhuda Dasgupta. There are other photographs too, including albums, mostly of her home in Rajgarh, Himachal Pradesh. She brings them out enthusiastically, showing us pictures of a lush green orchard with peaches, apples, oranges and what have you. There are also some black-and-white pictures, in old picture frames, from Sharma’s childhood while some colour pictures (taken, possibly, on a holiday) jostle for space on a book shelf.

Books bazaar

I’m not a very house-proud person, to tell you the truth,” Sharma confesses, while we take a closer look at her books that certainly aren’t arranged according to their sizes. You’ll find smaller-sized books suddenly springing up in the middle of spiritual books like Geet Gobind and those containing couplets by Kabir. There are a range of titles, including books that Sharma’s authored, like The Ramayan for Children, Book of Devi and Shaya Tales: Stories from a Himalayan Village. We also find Gond artist Bhajju Shyam’s excellent book, Junglee in London, resting in a corner. “I just wish there was more time to read,” says Sharma, dusting away a hardcover of The World Is What It Is, an authorised biography of VS Naipaul, which we spot resting in the corner of a bookshelf.

Then, there are books on herbs and various other books for children. “I love gardening so you will see,” says Sharma, pointing to a book on gardening, “many such do-it-yourself titles.” Since Sharma is closely involved with teaching, we find a great selection of children’s book. By the way, the simple wooden bookshelf, that looks like it has been plastered onto the wall, overflows with not just books but many objects associated with Sharma’s other interests.

My objects, my creations

Back in Himachal, Sharma has initiated a small movement through which she involves a group of women to create various products. These include woollens, woodcarved objects and even crochet mats. “This time, I’ll look at quilts,” she says, while picking up and showing us her own crochet creation that rests on a sofa in the study. She also shows us a papier-mâché product, one that she’s created herself; a male bust.

Also resting on one of the shelves is a beautiful wooden block carved from a walnut tree. It was given to her by the same women group that Sharma is assisting today.

While most people would consider it junk, Sharma’s kept innumerable paintings and drawings made by students of different government schools. She shows each and every painting enthusiastically, aghast when we suggest that these papers might be adding to the clutter in the study. “I mostly look at bird forms and every time I ask children to draw birds from their own imagination, I find some spectacular creations,” she says, curling into a comfy seater where her LG laptop rests.