RIP Hanif Kureshi: Legacy lives on through Delhi's vibrant street art at Lodhi Colony's Art District

Delhi’s street art has lost its lustre with the passing away of Hanif Kureshi, co-founder of St+art India. He died after succumbing to lung cancer on Sunday. Kureshi, instrumental in establishing the Lodhi Art Project, transformed the Delhi’s walls into an outdoor gallery.

Throughout his career, Kureshi championed the need for public art spaces accessible to all. In a 2016 interview with Hindustan Times, he had remarked: “You might have a great studio to work and might display your work in a famous gallery, (but) it is all meaningless if no one gets to see it, so the street is the most important art gallery.”

Known for his kitschy and ‘desi’ style, which drew inspiration from signage across the subcontinent, Kureshi graduated from MS University in Baroda before a brief stint in advertising. His fascination with hand-lettering and sign board painting led him to explore India’s by-lanes, where he commissioned local sign-painters to create alphabets in their distinct styles for a project called Handpainted Type.

Later on, in his search for the perfect urban canvas, Kureshi thought of Lodhi Colony, with its expansive walls, an ideal site for large-scale murals. “Delhi is a large city with diverse geography, culture and history. It has enough wall space to support diverse artistic narratives. Our aim was to bring art to everyone and reshape the visual landscape of Delhi through murals and installations,” he had said, back then.

The Lodhi Art Project soon took on a life of its own, attracting visitors from all walks of life who flocked to marvel at the murals and capture the artistry on camera. Today, the organisation that Kureshi helped build continues to curate art festivals across the country, leaving its mark on the walls of cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai, ensuring his legacy lives on.

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