Painting Delhi Red, Blue & All Sorts Of Colours: Best Graffiti Artists In Town

After a long struggle, art culture is finally rearing its head in the city and how! Generally regarded as a privilege of the elite, art has mostly been divorced from the lives of us mango people. Altering precisely this tight spot is the transforming graffiti culture in the capital. Booming with local and international artists who leave their impactful marks on the walls of our already-vibrant city, Delhi is in for multihued surprises! Let us explore the knights behind this colorful armor and what their art signifies.

Multifarious Art - Rakesh Kumar Memrot

A mural painter and extraordinary artist, Rakesh Kumar Memrot is a multi talented artist. His work exhibits range from private to public spaces. They adorn the walls of Delhi and simultaneously of hospitals, commercial establishments and private residences as well. He also does street art under the pseudonym - M86. His art plays with varied themes and he spectacularly justifies puts his thoughts across - go check him out!

Check Out His Website | https://muralrakesh.carbonmade.com

The Big A- Amitabh Kumar

Amitabh Kumar is an artist and designer hailing from saadi Dilli. He is a versatile artist and his work ranges from comics, drawings, murals paintings and photographs to boot. He has a plethora of curated artwork that can be found on the walls of the city. One of his most famous pieces of artwork is Dead Dahlias that beautifies the Lodhi Colony walls in the city. The artwork is deeply entrenched in the history of Delhi and represents the artists’ fear of the slow degeneration of the city. 

Check Out His Website | http://amitabhkumar.blogspot.in

Staggering Art - Anpu Varkey

Rooted in Delhi, Anpu Varkey is a graffiti artist who has travelled globally leaving her mark on walls across the globe. She painted the tallest mural in Delhi along with german artist Hendrick Beikirch in just a span of five days! The mural is 158 feet tall and is dedicated to the father of the nation - Mahatma Gandhi, and it adorns the walls of the Delhi Police Headquarters. Anpu is influenced by clouds, barren landscapes and time travel and the same is reflected in her gorgeous masterpieces!

Check Out Her Website | https://anpuvarkey.wordpress.com

Basically No Shit - BasicShit.org

Not all superheroes wear capes - as is exemplified by this organisation that is merging art and purpose. On a mission to create a clean and safe environment for public sanitation, they use graffiti to put their message across. Since the walls of our city are commonly mistaken as urinals, BasicShit.org is saving these damsels (walls) in distress - quite literally. By painting graffiti on walls and trees they are teaching us that the right way to leave a mark on the walls is through art! 

Check Out Their Website | http://basicshit.org

Spray Your Message - YANTR

From unusual and distinct styles of writing to an imperative message worth fighting for, these artists spray their feelings out. For YANTR, art is what appeals to the common man or pedestrians. He believes graffiti is the only ‘yantr’ through which art becomes accessible to the aam janta. An admirer of mechanics which is deeply reflected in YANTR’s style, he tries to use these elements while putting together a piece in such a remarkable way that commoners are able to relate to it. Some of his prominent works can be spotted at Hauz Khas Village, Lajpat Nagar and Chirag Delhi!

Check Out His FB Page | https://www.facebook.com/yantr.india/

Two’s Company, Three's A Crew - Zine, Samsam & Rane

There’s something about Delhi that makes you want to paint it red. Or green. Or blue! Our graffiti artists have formed various squads in the city and work as a team to shorten the hours in bringing out the finest collective pieces on walls. Aerosol Assassins Crew (AAC) is one such crew and is zipping around everywhere! 

Part of this crew are graffiti writers Zine, Samsam and Rane who’ve been raising standards of street art since they came together a few years ago. While Zine defines his style as being inclined towards the ‘wild’ order, for Samsam fantasy and sci-fi are the major influences. The crew creates pieces that try to “assassinate” discouraging messages implicated by advertisements and social media, like the use of fairness creams. Good going!

Kickstart With - St+Art

Delhi recently witnessed a wave of street art brought in by St+Art Delhi which is an urban street art festival and has been on the run since Feb 2014. As part of the fest, a number of Indian and international artists have been placing their murals at different locations, giving the city a major uplift in order to support and encourage graffiti and street art. Apart from being a platform for graffiti writers, the fest also brought in with it a series of events like screenings, graffiti jams, workshops, discussions and a curated walk to show off various artworks. Check ‘em out!

Check Out Their Website | https://www.st-artindia.org
Here’s Their FB Page | https://www.facebook.com/startindiafoundation

Brazil & India On Art - Brinda

The Brinda Project has made numerous attempts to encourage graffiti culture. It was started as an experimental undertaking of urban art and it exhibits the cultural richness of Brazil and India through graffiti. In this project, Brazilian and Indian artists blended their distinct styles, resulting in a collaborative portrayal of two different cultures. Delhi received this junction of diverse art in the months of September and November 2012. Started by a Brazilian, Delhi has earned some interesting artwork due to the Brinda Project!

Check Out Their FB Page | https://www.facebook.com/BrindaProject/

What’s In A Name - DAKU

A graffiti artist may prefer anonymity, considering that they are part of a bigger social demonstration. Having a pseudonym nails just this intention and the art now becomes the expression or even the alter ego of the artist. When asked about the significance behind his name, graffiti artist DAKU explains it is the visual created by the word that appealed to him. 

His legendary tags at different nooks and corners of Delhi convey his fascination with typography and lettering which is in Devanagari script. His art always has a powerful social message. Not necessarily legal and also very forthright in its portrayal, DAKU’s art lives up to its name - the ‘Bandit’.

Thanks to these artists, art is becoming a slice of life for most of us. Beautifying the city in the process, these artworks don’t shy away from raising awareness for social causes too. Graffiti is gaining the agency accorded to it globally and Delhi has become its muse. It's a win-win for us! Don’t forget to check out their artwork around the city!