
I’m Natasha Natarajan (she/her), a British-Indian creative running a freelance arts business under the name Chikaboo Designs. ‘Chikaboo’ was a childhood nickname given to me by my dad.
I plan and deliver creative projects for people all over the world. I take part in all stages of the process and offer my skills and expertise wherever necessary. I am more interested in the project I am working for, than what specifically I do. As a result, my skills have expanded over the years. I’m up for everything and have experience in a lot of different roles. You can find me around London working on commissions, delivering workshops, managing other artists and publishing zines. I enjoy being a chameleon or a unicorn – whatever they’re calling it these days.
In 2022 I completed an MA in Global Creative and Cultural Industries at SOAS. I wrote my dissertation on the potential of cooperatives for Creative Freelancers like myself. I now find myself working part-time as Events and Programmes manager at cooperative community coworking space in Finsbury Park, SPACE4 that is all about cooperatives, worker politics, new economics, activism and similar social justice orientated ideals. This new job and its event space overlap with my existing freelance activities and I hope to include my collaborators in this new professional journey of my life.
So if you need support for your business, a project or initiative contact me. It could be about the arts, but it could also me about labour politics… I’m up for all of it!
Art Practice
From 2016 to 2022 I wrote an autobiographical comic strip ‘FML Comics‘ exploring my most personal and political experiences. In 2021 I was published by Good Comics and exhibited at The Cartoon Museum. My comics practice opened a lot of artistic doors for me and established me as a professional artist in the UK. I have a strong drawing and writing practice and have used these to publish zines and tour UK zine fairs. I also sell pieces as framed original artwork.
I continue to further my artistic skills however I don’t pursue this career with as much vigour as I used to, I found it too hard to make a living out of. I write comics but not as regularly or professionally, and I don’t seek out opportunities. I work more as a producer now working with other artists to make their projects happen.
But I am open to any artistic collaborations. I still do love it. Some projects that are in my back pocket for the right time/collaborator:
– FML Comics the TV Series (I have a pitch ready, ask me to see it)
– Animations
I love working with other artists as a development producer to make their projects happen. I am currently working on a documentary about British-Islamic music.
In October 2022 I started a new part-time job as Events and Programme Coordinator for cooperative community co-working space, SPACE4, in Finsbury Park. They’re part of an amazing tech for good cooperative Outlandish. I wrote my dissertation about cooperatives.
Ask me about it. I LOVE it.

Out and about
“Putting Theory into Practice: Imagining our Future in Cultural Work”
4-part SOAS Event Series, 18/25 May + 1/8 June 2022
Tabling Edinburgh Zine Fair
17th May 2022
Cartoon Museum Conference Presenter “It’s all about the process right?”
7th Feb 2022
Drawn Out Comic Readings with Rachael House & Friends
July-October 2021
LDC, 18 October, Tickets
Hackney Comic + Zine Fair
4-30 September 2021
‘Natasha Natarajan: FML Comics’ Exhibition at The Cartoon Museum
18 May to 8 August 2021
‘Panel By Panel Discussions’ Live Events at The Cartoon Museum
5th + 19th + 26 June 2021
Online Comic Reading for the ‘Resistance Sustenance Protection’ Book Launch, Estuary Festival
Free (Booking Essential)
28 May 2021
House of Illustration, Illustrator in Residence, Bell Lane Primary School
February to May 2021
Rumi’s Cave Art Club
January to July 2021
Glasgow Zine Fair
1 – 31 April 2021
Presenting at LD Comics Monthly Event
Online (£3 Tickets here)
19 October 2020, 7pm
Artist Self-Publisher’s Fair, ICA London
27 September 2020
TLM YRSassy Story Podcast (Spotify, iTunes), London
1 August 2020
LDComics Queer Comics Reading , The Cartoon Museum, London
9 January 2020
Illustration + Print Open, Deptford Does Art, London
12-22 December 2019
The People’s Party Workshop, Deptford X, London
2nd November 2019
Ghost Comic Festival, Glasgow, Scotland
26 October 2019
CHEER UP LOVE Zine Fair, EartH, London
29 September 2019
South London Zine Festival, Deptford Does Art, London
2-11 August 2019
Comics as Activism, Panelist, Queers and Comics Conference, New York
17-18 May 2019
No man is an island, Solo Exhibition, Ladyboss Collective, Edinburgh
4-6 April 2019
Full Colour Comic Anthology, Group Exhibition, The Lighthouse, Glasgow
2018
Diversity in Comics, Panelist, Glasgow Comicon
2018

Press
Catching up with… Natasha Natarajan
2021, Good Comics
Cartoon Museum announces plans for exhibition of work by cartoonist and animator Natasha Natarajan
2021, Down The Tube
Review: FML Comics: Collected 2016-2020 (Good Comics)
2021, Pipedream Comics
Natasha Natarajan Talks ‘FML Comics’ and Her Autobio Practice
2021, Broken Frontier
FML Comics, On Sharing
2021, Eliot Gelberg-Wilson
Inside Look: Good Comics Kickstarter Books – Natasha Natarajan, Niki Bañados and Emre Altındağ Provide Exclusive Insights into Their Creative Processes
2020, Broken Frontier
Exclusive interview with Natasha Natarajan!
2020, Good Comics
Preview: Good Comics Kickstarter Titles – Check Out Sneak Peeks from Comics by RAMZEE, Natasha Natarajan, Niki Bañados and Emre Altındağ
2020, Broken Frontier
Sex, Loneliness and Longing – Popea Salisbury Presents ‘body count’ Zine
2020, The Sassy Show
Behind the zines: FML Comics – Natasha Natarajan
2020, Queer Zine Library
Illustrator in Residence: Natasha Natarajan – ‘Women That Changed My World’ (Part 2)
2020, Get in Her Ears
Illustrator in Residence: Natasha Natarajan – ‘Women That Changed My World’ (Part 1)
2020, Get in Her Ears
Natasha Natarajan: The Purpose Of My Comics
2020, The Sassy Show
Female Founder Friday with Natasha Natarajan
2019, SoulJourn Yoga, Jordan Ashley
Full Colour: A Graphic Anthology – Young Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Artists Spotlighted in BHP’s New Collection of Comics Shorts
2018, Broken Frontiers