Amitesh Srivastava, Librarian and anteater, Acrylic on Canvas, 72 x 60 inches, 2016 

 “As much as I can remember this librarian, he was a restless soul who shrived to know every corner of the library.

He would be busy managing, re-arranging, sorting, correcting and silencing readers. For him it was more than just a job, rather a passion that got him involved. The meticulous arrangement that he tried to uphold in the library, day in and day out was for him, his biggest achievement as a librarian.

Amidst all this one day, his hegemony got challenged, forcing him to encounter an unpleasant scene.
He yearned for the time he slept in the comfort and warm smell of the bookshelves.

He saw termites on a pile of books.
He immediately tried to exterminate the hungry colony but little did he know that the termites were growing at a considerable rate and were affecting different parts of the library.
He tried to use some disinfectants but the spread and impact of termites was strong- he became helpless in controlling it. One day while sitting at his table he imagined a giant anteater eating all the termites and saving his books from being capsized.”

-Amitesh Shrivastava