The Origin and the Rise of Street Art in India

Walking down the lanes of cosmopolitan cities of modern India, and in some small towns as well, it is common to come across vast forms of paintings on streets, buildings, flyovers, and even vehicles. Some of these reflect sociocultural themes while others exist purely for beautification. How did street art evolve this way in India?

Art on the wall of a city, Source: Wikimedia Commons

Ancient India was rich in all forms of paintings and sculpture as is evident through a variety of old-day architecture. While they cannot be referred to so much as “street art,” there is some glaring evidence of murals existing even in the earliest centuries of AD. These murals are none other than the paintings on the caves of Ajanta, which, in the present day, is a famous tourist spot near Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Intricately used vivid colours represent mythological tales, mostly from the life of Gautam Buddha on the walls of the earliest of these caves. Thus began India’s journey towards what today is known as graffiti.

Graffiti on a Cycle Rickshaw, Source: Wikimedia Commons

Fast forward to the 20th century, murals refused to remain restricted to caves as human civilization modernized. Street art took shape in India in the form of entertainment and sometimes education. For instance, commercially plying vehicles such as trucks, auto rickshaws, and even cycle rickshaws began to be commonly adorned with various forms of graffiti. From intricate floral designs to rude connotations aimed toward rough drivers of other vehicles on the road, murals during this era played a significant role in the social image of the country.

During the same time, the popularity of Bollywood rose significantly. Apart from the officially printed movie posters, many street corners began to get decorated with hand-painted images of famous stars and their cinematic poses, all thanks to talented artists either smitten with the glamour industry or hoping to make a quick buck out of their artistic ventures on the sides of pavements and buildings.

Lodhi Colony Street Art, Source: Wikimedia CommonsLo

In the late 20th century, street art went through several ups and downs. Public walls in many cities and towns began to be used to paint messages with a political focus. This is when both the government and the public started branding street art as vandalism.

But dark days do not last for long, and in the 21st century, street art in India saw some light in the form of street art festivals, some of which were organized for the first time in the country’s capital, New Delhi. Among these was the festival organized in Delhi’s Lodhi colony, the beautification of which was undertaken by both national and international artists. Lodhi’s buildings were so greatly transformed during the festival that walking down the streets of this locality began to bring the feeling of being in an enchanted museum.

Through these festivals, street art gained reputation, popularity, and solidarity among artists and the layman population alike. And soon, government bodies also began to recognize street art and hold it at par with other forms of art.

Cultural Wall Art, Source: Wikimedia Commons

Today, street artists proudly stand together as a class apart as they utilize their freedom of creativity to express designs, paintings, sketches, murals, slogans, and so much more across towns, cities, and villages. And the themes? They could just be about anything!

Artists are seen to paint abstract art that decorates several metro pillars in big cities like Bangalore and Delhi. One can also appreciate wall art in the form of leaves, twigs, flowers, and nature in general on walls adorning the sides of busy intersections.

Traditional art such as rangoli covering vast areas of roads is a common sight during cultural festivals. Socio-economic and political issues depicted as paintings on fences and building walls are switching their status from vandalism to awareness. Villages are not any different. Mud houses in some rural areas of Bengal are painted with traditional art styles such as the Madhubani.

The sky is the limit when it comes to graffiti in India these days. And street artists have not only beautified outdoor India but also brought back the glory of murals as it was in ancient times.