Rang de Delhi

A group of young artists do their bit to beautify the Capital before CWG.

Pained about walls in Delhi defaced with political sloganeering, film posters and communal graffiti? Here’s a group that’s working to make Delhi walls more “alive and interactive”. These are artists on the go, for whom the walls of the Capital are the canvas. You can catch them on any Sunday, painting a roadside wall.

“Whatever we paint talks about Delhi and its people. During the Commonwealth Games, we want to show our visitors the positive and young side of Delhi,” says Kanika Seth, a graphic designer, who heads the Delhi chapter of The Wall Project, that started in Mumbai as a street art group two years ago.

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The group comprises six young artists — two designers, a photographer, a PR professional and a restaurateur. Every Sunday, they get together at a spot to paint a wall, working for 10-14 hours at a stretch. “We don’t plan anything in advance, it all depends on the surroundings. But yes, if we are painting a public wall, we make sure that our work has nothing political or anything that hurts anyone’s religious sentiments,” says Inahita Singh, another group member. The group seems fairly upbeat about the response to its work so far.

“During our last session in Uday Park, a lot of people gathered around the wall and asked us to come and paint in their locality. Even the authorities, who were very apprehensive earlier, have allowed us to paint some walls in Hauz Khas Village and Khan Market,” elaborates Seth.