JOIN USThe walls in Shahpur Jat, Khirki Village and Hauz Khas are no longer grey and boring. They are more colourful than any other residential area in the City, thanks to the street artists who drenched these walls with colourful murals and graffiti art as part of the ongoing St Art festival.
The biggest ever street art festival in Delhi is a month- long exhibition showcasing the works of major worldwide street artists. It also includes the work of selected Indian artists offering a deep look into the phenomenon of street art and its history and emergence from graffiti to public art.
Alina Vergnano, Alias, Ano9, Amitabh Kumar, Anpu, Artez, Bond, Daku, FOE, Harsh Raman, Inkbrushnme, Hendrik ECB Beikirch, M-City, Mattia Lullini, PCO, Yantr, Okuda, Ranjit Dahiya, Sergio Cordeiro, Tona, Tofu- are the amazing artists who have been invited for the first edition of St Art Delhi.
Through their work the artists answer the questions like ‘What's behind the production of a mural? What are the several influences that an artist could get from the city in which he works? How the street artists conduct a dialogue with the surroundings in which they work and how differently do they work in their private studio?
Eventually, 60, including 40 from India have answered these questions through their different styles of artwork. Like Amitabh Kumar, 29, who has painted walls all over India and now also teaches his craft at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore has coloured one of the walls in Shahpur Jat with a giant poster-style portrait of the Bollywood actress Nadira, a massive cat playing with a ball of yarn and a shapeless cloud.
On the other hand artist Yantra has painted the wall with a biomechanical avatar and German artists Tofu and Tonu have adorned the walls with psychedelic geometric patterns.
Twenty three-year –old Varun Bajaj of Delhi Dallying blog, who also conducted walk in Shahpur Jat as a part of the festival says, “Shahpur Jat, was a City inhabited by rulers of Khilji dynasty in the 14th century. Through centuries there were constant raids by different dynasties but gradually the area turned into an agricultural village. It was after Independence that it turned into a residential area--a hub for cheap accommodation,” says Varun.
“It was a deliberate move by the artists to intervene into residential areas so that locals get to see new forms of art. The best part is that locals are appreciating the work. Some of the murals have become landmarks to easily locate a house,” he says.