Another Brick in the Wall

In a barber shop set up in an alley in Khirkee Extension,a man sits on a worn out brown leather chair while the barber trims his hair. In front of him is a mirror that reflects the wall behind — painted in mustard-yellow,it is filled with a vibrant assortment of bookshelves,patterns,postcard pictures and a cardboard chandelier tied to the ceiling. The wall,painted by visual artist Sidharth Mathawan,is one of 16 others in the urban village that is a part of the “Extension Khirkee Street Art Festival”. A first of its kind festival in the Capital,this has walls of many buildings transformed into spaces of imagination,meaning and interaction by 16 artists.

Spurred by the idea of getting the public to engage with art,the festival which began on March 31,involves artists from backgrounds as diverse as hip hop,architecture,graphics,art directing and illustrations. Curated by Aastha Chauhan,who has worked with Khoj,a non-profit organisation housed in Khirkee Extension,and Turin-based artist Matteo Ferraresi,the festival is an outcome of an impromptu collective decision to explore the walls of the urban village. “What you have here is something very different. The artists are from very diverse backgrounds and they converse in different ideologies,” says Chauhan,who chose the place because of her familiarity with the area.

Last month,the hubbub of Khirkee Extension,which is predominantly populated by low-income labourers,middle class families,students and migrants,sensed palpable excitement,as artists from India and abroad worked their way on the walls,complete with ladders and paint equipments. Permissions from authorities and landlords were taken and the curious neighbourhood watched as the run-down walls metamorphosed into giant blue squids,green lizards,graffiti,hands and rainbows. “There was constant interaction between us and the people here,and many were surprised that we were not getting paid for this. Now,at the end of it,there is a strange void in all our lives,” says Delhi-based painter Anpu Varkey,who created a work on a wall for the first time.

The untitled works — from the giant squid created by street artist Mattia Lullini,to a giant masked man painted by Yantr or Roy Sanjib opposite Sai Baba Temple — have received a positive response,according to the artists. “The best moment was when a lady insisted we paint a cat,which is sprayed near all the works,on her shop wall,” points out Varkey.