Illustrating for the Commonwealth: A Creative Collaboration
- Mookti.G
- Dec 31, 2025
- 3 min read
A dream collaboration! I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to illustrate for the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Getting to translate these incredible stories into visuals was an absolute joy: "The Sun Isn't Dead Yet" by the gifted Mauritian writer, Vashish Jaunky. "Uprooted" by the dynamic Maldivian duo, Muna Mohamed & Salma Fikry. This project was a beautiful challenge and a career highlight.
When reading the story, I was particularly struck by the metaphor of the dragonflies that appears at both the beginning and the end. To me, the dragonflies embody the author’s reflection on life and death, while the light of the sun offers a symbol of hope amidst loss. This inspired my visual approach: I placed the sun at the heart of the composition, using its warmth as a focal point, contrasted against a black and white palette that conveys the weight of grief.
Dragonflies appear subtly in the background, floating above the central character, representing the ongoing cycle of life. The character, with eyes closed, surrenders to the light, embracing both the presence of life and the acceptance of loss.
Texture effects and typography from an excerpt of the story’s opening were incorporated to enrich the illustration with depth and layered meaning.
I intentionally used only yellow to evoke hope, while black and white serve to honour and hold space for the character’s grief and mourning.
Find it online on Adda magazine to read!
When reading ‘Uprooted’, I was deeply moved by the tension between the Maldives’ natural beauty, its shells, fish, palm trees, and endless sea, and the encroaching force of urbanisation. The story’s narrator, like the aunt, carries deep emotional roots tied to their birth island. Witnessing those islands transform into spaces of concrete and steel creates a profound sense of loss and disconnection.
This illustration captures that duality. The patterns, such as cowrie shells, tuna fish, palm leaves, and flowing sea waves, which represent the cultural and ecological roots of the Maldives. I chose red and green as dominant colours because they reference the Maldivian flag, symbolising heritage, belonging, and identity. Blue represents the surrounding ocean, one of the country’s greatest natural treasures, and provides visual contrast that balances the intensity of red and green.
At the center is a floating piece of island containing abstract shapes of urban structures. It reflects the collective gaze of Maldivian people witnessing their homeland’s shift from traditional island life to modern cityscapes. The red roots symbolise both the literal roots of the islands and the figurative roots of identity, firmly tied to the Maldivian flag and to the idea of origin.
Ultimately, this piece visualises the emotional weight of watching a paradise evolve into something unfamiliar, honouring what remains while acknowledging what has been lost.
Find it online on Adda magazine to read!
Client Testimonial: "Mookti is a talented artist and a pleasure to work with. She makes stories come to life through her beautiful illustrations and puts in much dedication and thought into every piece. Her work is of a high quality, and her drafts are always timely. Her willingness to take on feedback and her artistic vision have greatly benefitted the creative work of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Thank you, Mookti!
-Commonwealth Foundation" It was so great to work on those projects!
Incredible opportunities, even better people. Here's to the collaborations that inspire me, and to sharing the art they bring to life.
Cheers
~ Mookti
___ Feel free to contact me on gmookti@gmail.com
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