An illustration by Satyajit Ray for Sonar Kella

A billboard design for Debi, a series of illustrations for Joy Baba Felunath, costume sketches for Hirak Rajar Deshe — all these and several other rare documents of Satyajit Ray will make their way from his book shelves at 1/1 Bishop Lefroy Road to a gallery at the Academy of Fine Arts this Saturday.

About 60 original illustrations, sketches and graphics by the maestro will be on public display for the first time in India at Art of Satyajit Ray, an exhibition curated by The Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Films (also known as Satyajit Ray Society). The exhibition, at the North Gallery of Academy of Fine Arts, will be on from January 19 to 25.

“It’s a unique exhibition. The focus is on Ray as an artist,” said son Sandip Ray. “Most exhibits will be from his personal collection. He had designed several striking book covers during his advertising stint in the 1940s. He had also made print ads for tea companies. This apart, the entire shoot schedule of Sonar Kella, which he had drawn, will be on view. There will be a few sketches he had made as a student of Kala Bhavan, in Santiniketan.”

Ray Society CEO Arup K. De said: “We have also included the title credits of Ray’s films. He had designed several title credits for Joy Baba Felunath and Kanchenjungha that were never used.” Ray Society has been involved with the preservation of Ray’s documents since 1994.

Other exhibits include sketches of sets of various films and costume designs of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and Hirak Rajar Deshe, plus illustrations for Sandesh and sketches of Professor Sanku and Feluda.

One of Ray’s documentaries — either The Inner Eye or Two — will be screened alongside the display.