G-20: Beautiful Street Art Breathes Life into Delhi
Artists have beautifully adorned the streets of Delhi with mesmerising murals and wall art, transforming the city into a vibrant masterpiece just in time for the G-20 Summit meeting commencing tomorrow.
Sputnik
Driving through the streets of New Delhi is a true artistic delight, as people are treated to a stunning display of creative murals and captivating wall art on the flyovers, footpath walls, underpass bridges, and much more.
Founder of Delhi Street Art, Yogesh Saini, takes
Sputnik India on an exhilarating tour of the city, revealing the fascinating stories and inspiration behind each artwork.
He shares the themes and messages behind each artwork that breathe life into the streets of Delhi.
G-20 Theme at Nizamuddin Area
Days after the announcement that India would host the G-20 Summit,
the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reached out to
Delhi Street Art in October last year with an exciting proposal: creating a captivating
G-20 mural.
"The very first mural done for G20 in Delhi was right near Nehru Place in South Delhi. The mural represented monuments, languages, flags, and other aspects of the nations that are part of the G-20 committee," Saini said.
Peacock Theme at Moolchand Flyover Area
For adorning the city ahead of the G-20, the artists picked up designs that represent India's rich art, culture, and tradition.
"To beautify the Moolchand flyover and the pillars in South Delhi, we decided to create India's national bird, the peacock in a very colourful, illustrative avatar. Not only did we successfully assemble one of the largest G-20 murals of the time, but the municipal corporation also installed a G-20 light box beside the artwork and assisted in clearing the garbage that was scattered around the pillars," Saini said.
"Since January, we have not seen any defacing or any posters being put on that or any garbage around that mural. This definitely had a positive impact on the city," Saini added.
Scientists and Physicians at South Extension Underpass
The artist took up the daunting task of renovating the retaining walls of the South Extension flyover and the underpass that links South Extension Part 2 to Part 1, located near the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
"We decided to do a theme of different scientists and physicians who have contributed immensely to the field of medical science with their discoveries. And a lot of them painted on the walls and happened to be from the G-20 nations," Saini said.
Since that area is one of the busiest streets in Delhi and is amid scorching heat, the artists decided to work at night.
"Safety became a bit of an issue because traffic can be less dense at night. Moreover, vehicles often move at a faster and more careless pace during the night, even when safety cones have been placed around the area where we are working. So that was a challenge," Saini said..
Picturing Real people at South Extension Area
For the retaining walls of the South Extension flyover, Delhi Street Artists opted for a slightly different theme that reflects India and its people.
"We decided to give a glimpse of different vendors at the South Extension marketplace and bring their stories to life. We picked different vendors, including the lady who sells flowers, the man working at a pan shop, and a person who runs a bookstore at the back of his auto rickshaw. We met these people, talked to them, observed what they were doing, and then decided to pictorially represent them on the wall," Saini said.
"This became our way of representing a true version of a small section of Delhiites to the rest of the world," Saini added.
Saini believes that showcasing the stories of real individuals on a grand and vibrant canvas is a great way of recognising their tremendous efforts to achieve their life goals.
Madhubani art at Dilli Hart
Dilli Hart in INA, a hub of arts, artisans, and craftsmen, became another shining spot that captures
Indian folk art, Madhubani from India's
Bihar state.
"We decided to design the flyover pillars in Madhubani style and painted them in a week's time," Saini said.
For his core team of 20 artists and numerous skilled volunteers, who often venture to towns, remote villages, and unfamiliar locations to create murals, the biggest learning experience has been the ability to adapt and adjust to the local environment and circumstances.