Artists on a roll in the dead of night

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Two young artists making a graffiti

Around 10 pm at night, a car is waiting near the Select City Walk mall, Saket. Loaded with canisters of paints and sprayers, two young men get down, and move towards an empty wall. Soon, they busy themselves with mélange of colours, symbols and letters. The faces of the artists are never seen and probably never will.

Street art has always been a part of our cityscape, be it slogans, posters and funny one-liners, but graffiti art has picked up in the city big way. While in Egypt, graffiti artists have earned the wrath of the state owing to their bold political messages, we ask the young city-based artists about the themes that inspire them.
“I believe that information dissemination has been hijacked by state and major corporations. We need an alternative medium to reach civil society. Through graffiti art, I try spreading a message. My graffiti have dealt with increasing consumerism, corruption, LPG prices, the latest FDI issue and other topical stuff,” says Karn, 22, a graffiti artist who uses a symbol to sign his graffiti instead of his name. He has worked along with Daku, one of the most prominent names among the city graffiti artists. Karn has a regular nine-to-five job and works on graffiti at night primarily.
Every graffiti artist uses a “tag” or symbol signature that is unique to the person, a kind of an alias that is part of the artist’s work. For instance, the work by ‘Bond’ can be seen in the IIT subway, ‘Zine’ has left his mark on several city walls. Walls in Malviya Nagar, Hauz Khas village, Nizamuddin, Khirkee Extension and South Extension underpass are other frequently used canvases. “We do have a sense of morality while choosing the places. We would never paint inside a Metro station, as we see the Metro system as a symbol of hope and progress,” adds Karn.
However, not every graffiti artist is looking for radical vent. Many cafes in the city that cater to youngsters also use graffiti within their precincts or in surrounding areas to bring in dynamism. “I have been working on graffiti at cafes, office recreational spaces and even homes of enthusiasts. Mostly, I have to make café logos, themes and vibrant compositions desired by those I am working for,” says Gunjit Purswani, 23, a professional graffiti artist. He has worked for Torque Studio, Arab Street Café, National Intelligence Office cafeteria and many others.

Myriad hues...
“No one cares for the walls of the capital. Citizens fail to realise that the walls are the most accessible and free canvases to creatively express oneself through art, give the city a colourful makeover and at the same time ensure that the concrete spaces remain physically protected,” says graphic designer Kanika Seth, founder of the Delhi Wall Project (DWP), a public art project campaign that started two years ago. Vir Andrew Kapoor, 22 has been associated with the project since last year. He puts forth, “ There are artists who like to get controversial. But I see wall graffitis as means of beautification of the city. . We either paint motifs, designs or social messages. I keep myself associated with organized projects like DWP,” explains Kapoor.