Delhi Street Art Transforms Slums with Murals

The Delhi Street Art project, launched by Yogesh Saini and the St+Art Foundation, is revitalizing Lodhi Colony and other areas like Shahpur Jat, Shankar Market, and metro stations with large-scale graffiti. Co-founder Akshat Nauriyal stated to IANS that murals promote dialogue between the city and its inhabitants. The initiative has made the neighborhood cleaner and more livable, while providing visibility to artists who cannot afford galleries. Two trends emerge: young artists inspired by the West and older generations reviving folk and tribal painting. Artist Mahendra Pawar draws from Rajasthan's fortress murals, Rakesh Kumar Memrot from Gond tribal art, and Kajal Singh (Dizy) pursues abstraction. Nauriyal noted that passersby stop to take selfies, and illegal dumping has decreased as walls are now seen as artist material. The project aims to create an internationally relevant street art scene in India. The article also cites Italian precedents: Turin's B.art – arte in barriera (2016) commissioned artist Millo for 13 blind facades in Barriera di Milano, and Mantua's Decoriamo Valletta (2013) revitalized Valletta Valsecchi with street art, including a mural honoring the 'Piccolo Brasile' Mantova football team.