British Airways celebrates 100 years of flying to India through illustration

Known for its food, fabrics, monuments, and spiritual culture, India's popularity as a travel destination has only increased over the years. In fact, it has become the most Instagrammable country in the world, with over 250 million Instagram posts, and the most popular country on TikTok, with 58.3 million TikTok posts.

This year, the UK's largest airline, British Airways, celebrated 100 years of flying to India, marking this occasion in its High Life magazine with six specially commissioned illustrations by illustrator and pattern designer Martha Olivia.

The brief came through her agents at Grand Matter, and she was immediately excited by the brief and concept. She says: "British Airways is such an iconic name, and it's inspiring to collaborate with a brand that connects people and destinations worldwide."

Her brief was to highlight the most unmissable attractions of India, including food and drink, sports, the bustling city, architecture and nature. While the article focuses on the 25 most unmissable wonders of India, Olivia was able to select six of her favourite sights to illustrate.

Being able to work on something in your profession that you're passionate about in your personal life is probably the ideal situation for any creative person. Olvia's love of travel made this a dream project for her, particularly the research phase. "It's such a rewarding experience to dive into the culture and essence of a place, then capture it through my own style," she explains.

This project with BA was also her first editorial piece and a great opportunity to expand her portfolio while exploring new creative avenues. Having not visited India before, Olivia wanted to ensure that she accurately conveyed the country's rich culture and vibrant heritage.

"I wouldn't describe it as a challenge; it was an opportunity to research and discover great new places", she says.

For the editorial, BA required a set of six colourful, patterned illustrations to accompany the various sights highlighted in the article. Olivia's vibrant and joyful style - rooted in pattern - made her the perfect illustrator for the project.

She describes how her work often features "repeats, symmetry, or flowing designs which were a great match for the brief", as stunning crafts and intricate patterns are part of India's rich visual heritage.

Olivia also enjoys blending heritage and tradition with a modern illustration style. She says: "This fusion has always been a source of inspiration for me, as I think it's essential to preserve craft and traditional design while giving them a contemporary twist to keep them current."

On the colour palette, Olivia explains that she wanted the collection to feel "bright, colourful, and warm, capturing the essence of India's vibrant and rich traditional culture". To achieve this, she drew inspiration from the colours of the places she researched, as well as elements like food, markets, clothing, nature, and architecture.

"I started each palette with the colours from the Indian flag – saffron, white, and green – then expanded them further to reflect the diversity and energy of the sights," she adds.

Continuing to work on travel-related projects would be "a dream", says Olivia. "I've always loved travelling and capturing the essence of places through film photography in my personal time, so illustrating different towns and countries is something I really enjoy."