India has witnessed a growing street-art culture over the last few years. Murals have always been an integral part of India’s artistic traditions. From Buddhist cave paintings of Ajanta to street art in Shahpur Jat, the evolution of street art in India has been simply incredible. Here’s a list of the best street artists in India. By Karan Kaushik
Street art festivals held in Delhi and Shillong have inspired many artists to take up street art as a full-time vocation. Then there are organisations like the St+art India Foundation, which bring artists from all over the country to change Indian public spaces.
These street artists will give you major travel goals with their art
Anpu Varkey
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Varkey’s bio on her website describes her as a colourist, visual artist, painter, voyeur, dreamer, traveller, and caffeine lover. The Bengaluru-based artist is known for her exemplary work in cities like Cochin and Trivandrum. She tries to bring an emotional element to her artworks. Varkey holds a diploma in fine arts from Central St Martins Byam Shaw School of Art, London.
One of the best street artists in India, Varkey has been associated with major street art festivals across the country, such as the Shillong Street Art Festival and the Rishikesh street art festival. Her most popular mural is Dizzy in Mumbai’s Mahim. She also assisted German artist Hendrik Beikirch on the famous Mahatama Gandhi mural at the Delhi Police headquarters.
Shilo Shiv Suleman
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One of the most celebrated street artists in India, Suleman is a staunch feminist, something that is also reflected in her art. She believes that India needs more women street artists. Her projects in Lucknow and Delhi’s Jor Bagh are dedicated to celebrating the lives of women.
In Lucknow, Suleman’s organization The Fearless Collective worked on murals that depicted the exploration of female desire. Her street art in Jor Bagh was dedicated to the lives and labour of the women who work as waste-pickers. One of her most talked-about murals is in Jaipur, where she chose to celebrate the queer community.
Ranjit Dahiya
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Dahiya is the man behind all the fantastic Bollywood murals in Mumbai that you must have come across on your social media feeds. From Big B Amitabh Bachchan to late actors like Dilip Kumar, Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan, and Sridevi, Dahiya’s Bollywood Art Project is aimed at converting Mumbai into an open-air museum dedicated to the Hindi film industry.
He established the urban art initiative in 2012. The film lover describes himself as an artist, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and an arts and design professor all rolled into one. A father of 20 cats, Dahiya is an alumnus of the prestigious National Institute of Design.
Jas Charanjiva
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Born and brought up in Northern California, Charanjiva is the co-founder of Kulture Shop, a lifestyle brand and platform for Indian graphic artists across the world. It was America’s vibrant skate and graffiti culture that inspired her to pursue street art. She has been obsessed with underground street art since the tender age of 12.
Charanjiva stays in Mumbai now and most of her murals feature unconventional characters. Her most popular street artwork is called Don’t mess with me and embellishes one of the walls in Mumbai’s Mahim. Her artworks usually depict women and their wisdom.
Yantr
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Yantr achieved popularity with his remarkable mural for Netflix’s popular show Money Heist in Mumbai. His artworks can be identified by their biometric designs. Yantra always tries to give socio-political messages through his impressive artworks. His graffiti art in Delhi and Assam is some of the best in the country. An alumnus from the Department of Fine Arts at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Yantr was raised in Assam.
He has been a part of major street art projects like St+Art India Foundation. He has also participated in popular street art events like Kochi Muziris Biennale, Shillong Art Festival, and the St+art Delhi street art festival in Shahpur Jat. He is an avid traveller and has been on several bike trips across the lengths and breadths of India.
Kajal Singh
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Kajal Singh, aka Dizy, is a Berlin and Delhi-based artist. One of India’s first female graffiti artists, Dizy is a talented hip-hop dancer and fitness vlogger. The young artist is old school at heart, and her artworks can be identified by the use of block letters from the New York City of the 1980s. Her most renowned project was a collaborative urban art project for the Indian and German governments.
The hip-hop fan also joined hands with famous sports brand Nike to promote the idea of women in sports. She comes from an artistic background. Her mother is a painter, while her brother works as a graffiti writer. She always makes sure to seek legal permission from authorities before creating her wall artworks.
Daku
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A visit to Daku’s official website will leave you in splits. The prolific street artist started his journey as a signage painter in Gujarat. He went on to study typography and shifted to graffiti. He wants to make his street art accessible to all strata of society. His graffiti features typography in Roman, Devnagri and Urdu scripts. Daku has always tried to raise socio-political issues through his street art.
One of the graffitis that brought him fame was at Delhi’s ITO and depicted a blind country through a blindfolded protestor. The artist is an avid supporter of government art projects. His other famous artworks adorn the walls of Delhi’s Khirki Extention. Daku has also assisted international artist Bond on his projects in Hauz Khas village and Malviya Nagar. He definitely deserves a place among the best street artists in India.
Jheel Ghoradia
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Mumbai-based Ghoradia wants to change the public mindset vis-a-vis gender and uses her street art as a medium of dissent. Her project Breaking the Silence is aimed at raising issues concerning the lives of women in India. From gender inequality to domestic violence to eve-teasing and harassment, Ghoradia wants to raise pertinent issues and injustices that continue to exist in Indian society.
What makes her street art stand out is the way she uses popular characters from Hindi cinema to talk about problems like stereotyping of women in our films. The gifted artist wishes to give a voice to Indian women, who have not been able to speak for themselves.
Zine
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Recognised by his use of bright and bold colours, Delhi-based Zine hails from Aizawl, Mizoram. His graffiti can be identified by sharp geometric shapes and patterns and neon colours. Zine has made a respectable name for himself in the Indian graffiti circuit with his urban spray paint artworks.
He has decorated the walls with his tasteful and larger than life street art in states like Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Mizoram. Zine started graffiti writing in 2005 and was one of India’s first graffiti artists. He uses eccentric patterns and quirky figures in his artworks. The artist also loves collaborating with other artists from India and elsewhere. Most of his artworks adorn roadside boundary walls.
Amitabh Kumar
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Bengaluru-based Kumar is a name that needs no introduction. The gifted artist has painted murals across the country. He teaches art at the Srishti School of Art and Design and Technology. Kumar was also the man behind starting the Delhi-based comics ensemble, The Pao Collective. He has also worked with the Sarai Media Lab, where he worked on comics and co-curated experimental art spaces.
One of his most renowned works was done in Mumbai. Titled much-much, the artwork shed light on the harsh realities of staying in an ever-growing metropolis like Mumbai. He has been associated with St+art India for a long time and has done several projects for them. His street art blesses the walls of Lucknow and Panjim. In Delhi, you can find his work in Lodhi Art District and Shahpur Jat.
Prithviraj Shinde
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You will be shocked to hear that Shinde is colour blind. Yes, you read that right. The young and talented artist was detected with Protan colour blindness at the age of 10. His friends and family have played a huge role in his journey as one of the best street artists in India.
Shinde’s generous friends contributed money to get him a pair of EnChroma glasses, after which, his world changed forever. Born and raised in Mumbai, he has been painting and sketching ever since he was only four years old. He comes from a family of artists. His artworks have helped him think out of the box. Shinde draws his inspiration from Renaissance painters as well as modern artists.
A-Kill
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A-Kill is the artist behind India’s largest panoramic mural at Chennai’s Indira Nagar Railway Station. The mural titled ‘We Are’ aims to generate awareness about AIDS. A-Kill’s work is inspired by everyday life. The Chennai-based graffiti artist is an expert in portraits. One of the most famous murals of A-Kill is in Chennai’s urban slum, Kannagi Nagar.
A fine specimen of photorealism, the mural features two smiling sisters on two parallel buildings. A-Kill also loves to teach young artists. He has led several workshops. One of his most successful workshops was at Chennai, where he joined St+art India and introduced the participants to street art techniques of stencilling and spray painting.
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