Sharmila Banerjee – Issue 36 Interview

27/01/2025

Photo by: Peach Wright

Introduction by Dave Morgan

Interview by Holger Talinski, Peach Wright, Mark Malarko, Viktor Telégin, Dave Morgan, Mark Kemp & Guy Jones

Photography by Peach Wright

Sharmila Banerjee AKA Bone Jelly shares her name with that of a renowned Bangladeshi classical dancer, however I believe the Sharmila currently in question holds much greater illustration skills. The playful and oh-so colourful droopy-eyed characters ‘Bone Jelly’ creates pay homage to the 70s psychedelic movement, combining it with modern references and relatable narratives. I’m not sure if her dancing could contend with the other one but hey, it’s not a competition.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Holger TalinskiChampagne or beer?

Definitely beer. 

How much did skateboard culture inspire your work in the early days when you started drawing?

Not so much in the early days, but from when I was 15 on it for sure inspired my work in many ways. I came from a background of tennis clubs and classical music education. Everything felt very proper, hierarchical and you had to play by the rules. I hated it. I just wanted to fool around and figure things out for myself, so the people I met through skateboarding, the diy attitude and the creative energy in the scene very much spoke to me.

 

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Pizza or Döner?

Always Pizza.

Oslo or Berlin? And a cheat code for each.

Berlin is much more diverse and also more open and friendly towards late bloomers such as myself, so for now I have chosen Berlin. 

Berlin cheat code (by Dave Morgan): Know Sara Parson-Texas. 

Oslo cheat code for final boss: Buy an apartment before you turn 30.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Favourite skateboard brand from the 1990s/2000s and today?

I loved Toy Machine already and then they got Elissa Steamer on the team. Zero was important, and Flip with Tom Penny and the great graphics. The Alien Workshop videos blew my mind. Today I’m not so up to date but Dime is always on top design wise and I like the cute and weird stuff Chris Milic does for Frog. And I like to see small indie brands like Baglady Supplies and so on.

Favourite 1990’s/2000’s item of skate clothing memorabilia?

The nerds usually like the Chomp On This t-shirt, but my personal favourite is an old Alien Workshop t-shirt that I customised, cropped off the sleeves and so on. I also kept a bunch of stickers that I never dared to use. The Flip ones on transparent foil are my favourites.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

How did it feel to be the only girl at the skatepark back then?

It was great. All the guys were so helpful, kind and supportive. No, I’m just kidding. For me it was hard as I was generally insecure and shy to begin with. I went with good friends but even they would blast out stupid things like “Women’s bodies are just not built for skateboarding, they lack the strength in the legs,” or they would point out how ridiculous and undateable they thought girls that were skating were. Believe it or not, only 10 years ago someone in Oslo told me the same shit. I’m happy things are changing now.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Analogue or digital drawing? And who would win in a fight?

I personally prefer the analogue process, but there are people out there who have just mastered digital tools in a way that is totally mind blowing. I usually draw everything analogue and then edit the drawing further in Photoshop for printing or colouring. I like that the analogue process leaves space for random errors that you can’t fix so easily. It’s also nice to go through the old school process of pen, paper and rubber and get away from the screen for a few hours. 

About who’d win the fight; right now everyone is going on about how AI will take over the art world and will make artists redundant in a few years, so the fight is real, but I believe until the AI gets some kind of mechanical body and starts to create paintings and sculptures with their robo hands, we’re safe.

Photo by: Peach Wright

Peach Wright – If you could live your life in just three colours, what colours would they be?

Graphic designer answer: cyan / magenta / yellow.

Mark Malarko – When you are working do you prefer to look out the window and cry, or cry in the shower so you can pretend it’s not happening?

Both. When it rains I even go outside for a little cry, because no one will notice.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Viktor Telégin – Do you smoke disco salad and watch Disney before you start drawing?

I heard before that my drawings look as if I’m constantly tripping. Very funny.

Do you like Norwegians more than Swedes because they’re all filthy rich?

Correct. I usually let people show me the balance on their bank account before I decide if I like them or not. If  they are poor I kindly ask them to get out of my face.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Dave Morgan – Do you see the world in this cartoon-like way, and just have to pretend you’re drawing cartoons when it’s really just realism for you?

The question is silly, but there is some truth in it. This style has somehow become my best tool to communicate my view onto the world. An abstract cartoon drawing that breaks down reality to its core and stretches it to the extreme can have a much stronger emotional impact than a photorealistic drawing. It makes you see things in a different way and I was always drawn to the weird and odd places in life, things that are different from the norm. I find a lot of beauty there. I know, though, that some people don’t get my style at all and I’m very okay with that.

What’s your favourite shape?

I like the shape of a sharp nose.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Mark Kemp – Your dad was very involved in the opening of a huge new Hindu temple in Berlin earlier this year, which was super cool. Is this something that interests you and could you compliment your family for us because it’s nice?

Yes, they’ve invited my dad over to be the priest at different Pujas here in Berlin the last two years and I’m very happy to have him in town and see him so involved, active and appreciated by the community. I’ll forward the compliment!

Guy – What are some mediums you’d like to explore more? I see your artwork has ended up on ceramics, cans and as candles before. Do you like these physical entities to work on and how do they compare to a standard canvas?

It’s great to get away from working on paper sometimes as the same routine over and over again can drive me a bit crazy. I usually just need to get out of the house and meet people to get some new energy but sometimes I also turn to sculpting and such, may it be in clay or wax or whatever material I have at hand. I should really get more into animation, because that’s what everyone is asking me for, but then I’ll be sitting in front of the computer again. Right now I’m planning to build some wooden furniture for my flat. Maybe next spring I’ll paint some walls again. Let’s see.

Photo by: Peach Wright

I see you’ve worked on illustrating a cookbook. Did it inspire you to make any of the recipes featured? Do commissions like this help you explore different areas of life such as cooking? 

The book actually hasn’t been released yet, but the cuties from Jumbo Press are working hard on printing and binding the thing by hand these days. It will be a precious object with lots of amazing artists involved, so keep your eyes peeled! Once I get a copy I’m sure I’ll also try some of the recipes.

The idea was that every illustrator shares one of their favourite dishes and illustrates it as well. I’m very much into cooking and am sharing a recipe for a delicious Bengali egg curry that I learned from my father.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

What is the ultimate meal to unlock full creativity?

It’s hard to choose one, but it would have to be something juicy, warm and spicy. Some crispy salad on the side and fresh lime sprinkled on top. Maybe Indian or Mexican food, or a spicy Thai curry? In the afternoon I’ll have a sweet snack for some extra brain boost. A cinnamon roll maybe.

Is Bone Jelly your birth name and Sharmila actually your stage name? 

Yes. I always thought Bone Jelly sounded boring and that my parents could have been a bit more creative on this side, so I started to do some research and finally found this Indian name that nicely rolls off the tongue. I’ve been using it as my stage name for a while now, but unfortunately many people don’t know how to spell or pronounce it, so for daily business I usually go back to my birth name, Bone Jelly.

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Kyle Platts (and myself) are curious about the evolution of your comics. He recently went back and looked at some of his earlier work and felt it not to be the strongest haha. Do you feel similarly about your own and do you have any examples of some you’re embarrassed and proud of?

I’m way too self critical, but my autobio comics definitely had lots of emo topics like heartbreak, melancholia, teenage angst and so on. A bit awkward, but I still don’t think they were bad. I once drew a sex scene and felt a bit weird about it, but people really liked the comic actually. So you really never know. 

I made a whole series of biographical comics about famous female maniacs living a life on the edge, like Leila K, Cicciolina or Cookie Mueller. I was drawing them in different styles, so maybe these were visually not as striking.

 

Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Your ‘It’s nice that’ focus highlighted mice, moons and mushrooms in the description. What other things do you like beginning with the letter ‘m’?

Muppets, mopeds, manatees, my mum.

If your artwork was a type of music, what would it be and who would be in the band?

I’d say something slightly over the top, fun, epic and danceable. A mix of DEVO, some 80s power ballads, Italo synths and Cobra Man thrown in there.

Could you please recommend absolutely anything if you’d be so kind?

Something I need to remind myself of at times; relax, take a deep breath, try to enjoy the moment and don’t stress about things. Capitalism makes us feel inadequate, as if we’re not good enough, behind schedule and always have to perform at high speed. It’s insane. We all die in the end, so there’s no need to rush through life.

Vague Issue 36 Cover Artwork by: Sharmila Banerjee

Jechu Corvalán – Wallie 50-50 ~ Photo: Gerard Riera

Cop some of Sharmila’s amazing artwork in the form of clothing here (or by clicking the image below) and finally look as good as you should feel!