Earlier this year, the posh Lodhi Colony, located in the capital, was transformed into India’s first ever public art district. An initiative of St + Art India, a non-profit organization, it aimed to reclaim and inculcate a sense of pride in public places that have for long been deserving of some TLC.
As part of the initiative, twenty five homegrown and international street artists came together to unleash their creativity on a stretch of dull, grey walls. The result: a riot of imagination, colour and fabulousity. Indeed, to describe their work as a menagerie of bohemian and surreal work that transformed the landscape, would be a gross understatement.
Here’s a brief rundown of some of the select few who lent their time and talent to the project:
Mahendra Pawar and Rakesh Kumar’s murals were an ode to Rajasthani and Gond folk art respectively, while Senkoe from Mexico, painted birds in myriad vibrant colours to symbolise the diversity of our people.Through a striking geometrical creation, ‘Original Aboriginal’, Reko Rennie paid homage to his ethnic roots, and in ‘Lava Tree’, Anpu Varkey painted tongues of red lava flames scaling a building, seemingly devouring it. Quirky was supplied by a trio from Uruguay who through their art, left a mark of gratitude to a tea seller who had perhaps provided them with endless cuppas with a line on their wall in Hindi which reads “This cart belongs to Chote Lal!”
The purpose of art is to comfort, inspire, provoke introspection and debate; so to further this objective, St + Art India hopes to spread its wings to other cities as well. Because what better way to bridge the chasm between artists and regular folk than by bringing their work to common spaces we all share and transit through.
For updates on new artwork, new festivals and new cities, follow St+Art India on their site, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Featured image source: iTripTo
