Street artists to watch out for

Shilo Shiv Suleman
Chennai

As part of her association with The Fearless Collective – a group of artists giving women more prominence in public art – Bengaluru-based Suleman collaborated with poster artist MP Dakshna to create her own depiction of Sivaji and Padmini, Tamil cinema’s golden couple. Suleman's depiction of Padmini is a departure from the coy damsel in distress that was the regular fare on-screen; here, she pushes away her saviour with a curt “I am my own hero”.  

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Tyler
Mumbai  

In Mumbai's traffic-clogged suburbs, anonymous street artist Tyler is giving residents a rare reason to smile. His clever slogans and off-centre graffiti are a comment on modern life; but bursts of optimism come with a grounding ‘terms and conditions apply’. Tyler's spray-painted works are often taken down, or subject to general wear-and-tear, but a new surprise is never too far. 

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Guess Who
Kochi

Kerala found its own Banksy in this anonymous artist who’s lining city walls with unlikely pop-culture mash ups – Malyalam actor Prem Nazir is cast as James Bond, Michael Jackson is dressed for a Kathakali performance and Harry Potter is, well, a potter. His poster art surfaces mainly around the annual Kochi Biennale – as a “reaction”, not a protest, he says.

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Jheel Goradia
Mumbai 

The multimedia designer uses Bollywood posters to comment on gender stereotypes in her #BreakingTheSilence project. The digitally-designed posters tackle issues like rape, prostitution, homophobia and domestic violence through cheeky dialogue. 

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Leena Kejriwal
Across India

As part of M.I.S.S.I.N.G, a public art project, Kejriwal is slapping on stark silhouettes of girls in urban cities to raise awareness about child trafficking. Around ten to twelve imposing fiberglass sculptures scattered across the country supplement the stencil figures. 

You may also want to read: Welcome to Banksy's Dismaland

Bollywood Art Project and Yantr
Mumbai

Ranjit Dahiya of Bollywood Art Project teamed up with Delhi-based Yantr and a team of other artists to create the country’s largest mural. The project, commissioned by the St+art India transformed an unassuming MTNL building in Mumbai into a super-sized tribute for the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke.     

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