If you wander around Mumbai you will come across some pretty spectacular graffiti.
Particularly in Bandra’s Ranwar village, there are stunning examples of street art. Given traffic conditions, the best time to stroll along Chapel Road, Veronica and Waroda Road is on a lazy Sunday when people not vehicles rule the narrow lanes….
Which is why I’ve decided to feature on the occasional Sunday an image from many months (nay years!) of wandering and clicking a pic here and there. What you spotted yesterday may be fading today to replaced by something new tomorrow. The only constant is change… with multiple flashes of creativity unleashed for a moment or two.
One such initiative occurred late 2014 with the St.art Mumbai project that brought artists from around the world to India.
I earlier shared one of my favourites ‘Coming Home’ by Dome that you cannot miss in Bandra Reclamation (Moosehead dude cycles into Bandra).
Another glorious work from the St.art Mumbai Project is by Gomez, from Italy, who painted a mural on the wall of a small bi-lane off Wadora Road, around the corner from Jude Bakery.
In an interview with GQ magazine, Gomez shared:
“What’s happening here is cool, but I’m not sure I like being called a street artist. The wall, which I wish was a little bigger, is just another medium…”
Here is the remarkable result of his efforts… an arresting work that cannot be ignored.
Corner of Jude Bakery, Wadora Road by Gomez (Italy)
Gomez also participated in a workshop in Dharavi where kids from the community learned about stencil techniques then had an opportunity to practice at a community toilet where he also painted another mural in the same compound.
In this photo, you can see this same mural a few months later with Christmas stars still dangling along the wall.
Gomez by day…
Note: St+art India Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to promote street art on the Indian landscape, providing a collaborative platform for artists from all over the world. Founded by Delhi based Arjun Bahl and Hanif Kureshi, the St+art project brings together Indian and international street artists for murals, installations, exhibitions, talks, screenings, workshops and curated walks. The paints were sponsored by Asian Paints.
Related links:
Everyday Asia 
That is one very cool painting, and a very cool project. Maybe one day we’ll get to Mumbai!
Alison
You absolutely should have it on your travel radar! And more importantly, let me know if you do make it out to these parts. 🙂
I definitely will!
I love graffiti! There were some serious works in the city where I attended university in Spain, google image “el niño de las pinturas” if you are curious.
In China I have seen graffiti in only a couple of places in Shangai and Beijing… definitely not something you will just see in a random street.
Me too! We have so many projects here in Mumbai – especially in Bandra. It is really quite fabulous and constantly changing too. I’ve seen photos of some of the murals in Spain – some are remarkable! But quite right, isn’t exactly common in what ever parts of China I’ve seen. 😉