Art Walks in Mumbai

As the clouds gather in the sky above the town of dreams, there isn’t a child-like cheer on my face at the thought of the arrival of the monsoons. I am worried about the couplings of color, illustrative social messages and artistic drawings that had breathed a new life in my neighborhood. I know the rains are essential but my heart goes out to the big and small art work, striking murals, colorful schemes and social messages that are splashed at almost every prominent street and some of the buildings in Mumbai. Through this rainy season, a lot will change about the town, especially the wall art might get destroyed at many places. I wish the artists have used water-resistant spray paints though I know they have not at many places. Before the rains wash away the splendor of the work, take a pause from the mundane world and just move around the town. There are many art walks in Mumbai.

The cultural life of Street Art is not new for the urban centre. We need more art walks in Mumbai. Nowadays, nothing celebrates the spirit of Mumbai better than its street art. The colorful palette of the urban centre has evolved unlike before. With 30 artists coming together from all over the world to paint the 142-Year-Old Sassoon Docks, with the Asalpha area in Ghatkopar suburb being turned into an open art gallery and with colorfully painted neighborhoods carrying ‘Clean India, Green India’ messages all over Mumbai, the urban centre is definitely exploding with creativity. The medium of graffiti has been put to use in many creative ways to increase awareness around social issues. This definitely asserts that a lot can be said through art.