Wall Street Journals

'Shut Up You B****' painted in big bold letters adorns the wall next to the girl's hostel at Symbiosis Institute of Design,Viman Nagar.

‘Shut Up You B****’ painted in big bold letters adorns the wall next to the girl’s hostel at Symbiosis Institute of Design,Viman Nagar. One cannot miss the irony of placement of these words in the middle of the bricked structure. Either someone is trying to make a statement or project a fragmented state of mind. From corners of city campuses emerge bizarre images and expressions that reflect and defy conformist culture.

Away from the madding traffic of Tilak Road,the campus of Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya seems like an island of peace. The walls,doors,ceilings,almirahs inside the chambers all form a dreary ambience. There are no students here,but they have left behind a mark. A chest of drawers with several coloured images akin to grafitti stands out here. In its backdrop is a huge,white,spray painted work. A half-completed sculpture of Goddess Durga stands in the corridor. For most of these students,it’s a sign of artistic freedom. When we begin work,this whole place becomes our laboratory, says Seema Ramchandran,an alumnus of Abhinav Kala Mahavidyala. It’s not really done to say something all the time,it is just our expression. Who likes plain walls?

While some images attempt a social message,others are just about expression an open lock,a chained animal and portraits of women. At the campus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII),a very strong wall art culture thrives. Once you walk into the institute’s hostel,the mood changes completely. There are large paintings on the wall that distract one from the mundane hostel rooms. In the alley of the boys hostel,one can see each room breathing a different life. A half-complete painting of Persepolis, a blue door,a ‘just married’ sign are a few examples.

The street art movement elsewhere in the cities is mostly state-sponsored,but in colleges it is nudged by a free spirit . Delhi’s North Campus walls are the canvas for several attractive art works portraits,slogans,graffiti et al. In Bengaluru too,art colleges see a lot of expression portrayed on outdoor spaces. There is an urge to express. To use the emptiness around to voice so many opinions that we have. In fact,it promotes expression. But here in Pune,it’s difficult to find students doing this freely because the authorities don’t let us. There are fines,so many students will not even think of doing this, says Deepali More,who is studying statistics at Pune University. In her three-seater hostel room the walls are bare. A calligraphy in Devanagiri is the only scribble. Most college authorities choose to call this vandalism. And to be honest,a lot of it is just doodling or stuff like that,not qualifying of as wall art at all, says More.

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories