Karthik Ilango

Karthik Ilango, also known online as @mrjangolango, is an Indian-born artist, illustrator, and author based in Mauritius. Trained in fine arts in India and the United States, he works across painting, illustration, graphic design, and children’s literature. His debut book, A Night Out in Space, published in three languages, reflects his commitment to imaginative storytelling grounded in science, ecology, and cultural awareness. A recipient of the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Prize, Karthik combines classical draftsmanship with bold contemporary color to create visually rich, purposeful work. He is currently expanding both his painting practice and the A Night Out in Space series.

Born in India and now based in Mauritius, Karthik Ilango bridges fine art and children’s literature through a practice shaped by cross-cultural experience. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Srishti School of Art, Design, and Technology in Bangalore and the California College of the Arts, where he studied illustration with a minor in graphic design.

A Night Out in Space was conceptualized at CCA under the supervision of award-winning illustrator and author Lisa Brown and later published in English, French, and Hindi in Mauritius. Written for readers aged 7–15, the book encourages curiosity and care for the natural world, reflecting Karthik’s enduring passion for animals and the environment. Its narrative is guided by his belief that human intelligence—expressed through science, agriculture, technology, and culture—evolved not for dominance, but to position humanity as thoughtful stewards and careful gardeners of the planet, entrusted with nurturing life on Earth.

His illustrations favor traditional pen-and-ink techniques reminiscent of earlier artists such as Robert Crumb and Aubrey Beardsley, later enriched with carefully applied color that enhances realism while remaining age-appropriate. His process may also incorporate watercolor, digital collage, soft pastels, graphite, and monochrome studies. Regardless of medium, the resulting images are detailed, refined, and visually compelling for young readers.

Alongside illustration, Karthik maintains an active painting practice that blends classical composition with vibrant, expressive color. Though new to painting during his time at CCA, he quickly mastered oils and acrylics, winning the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Prize (2021) for Blue Father Figure, later exhibited in the Society’s New York gallery.

His paintings draw on Fauvist intensity and the imaginative sensibilities of modern and surrealist masters such as Moebius and Dalí. Working primarily in oils and acrylics, he transforms photographic references—often originally monochrome—into bold, color-driven interpretations that deepen their emotional and narrative resonance.

He is currently collaborating with a Mauritian photographer on a series that reinterprets black-and-white silver-gelatin prints as large-scale, color-saturated canvases, expanding the narrative dimension of the original images.

While continuing to expand the reach of A Night Out in Space, he has also developed outlines for the second and third books in the series, underscoring his long-term commitment to imaginative, educational storytelling.

Rooted in a global upbringing and formal artistic training across continents, Karthik creates work that is visually striking, intellectually engaging, and guided by a clear sense of purpose.