India’s cities, especially residential areas, are not exactly known to be beautiful, given the lack of urban aesthetics among slapdash builders. One of the things that has released the plainness and squalor, however, is spontaneous street art taken up by amateur artists using the walls of buildings as their canvases.
A prime – in many senses – example of this are the giant paintings and murals on the outer walls of houses in the Lodhi Art District of New Delhi. A short film (above), made by Medhavi Hassija and Prateek Shankar, captures this artistic venture.
The entire film is seen through the eyes of a local resident as she makes her way past these extraordinary works, which have turned the drab original walls into vibrant, giant displays of colour, form and styles. The film also pays tribute to the St+Art India Foundation and the contribution they’ve made in India’s street art movement.
Also featured here is a cameo by Daku: India’s version of Banksy, the mysterious figure whose art pops up in public spaces around the world.
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