Divya R Chandrashekar and I have held mutual respect for each other‘s creative work for quite some time now. That is why it gave me great happiness when she decided to contribute to “Writings on the Walls” by showcasing Bengaluru street art. This South Indian silicon capital is one of the cities which never fail to draw me, yet despite my multiple visits I have not managed to spend time there. I admire Bengaluru a lot, did not mind even when it was called Bangalore and was always awed by its pleasant urbanity. Indian city seems more civil and tame there and it can get quite glitzy in Bengaluru. Thus it does not surprise me that this fabulous trendy city should nurture street art and this is what Divya RC has to say about Bengaluru street art.

Beautiful Bengaluru street art is found all over the city

Ignorance is the blindness of the soul

Bengaluru street art rejuvenates old walls 

Though any form of artwork catches my attention, it is the street art which fascinates me the most. In my eyes, they add life to public walls, random empty spaces and the corners of the main crossings. These days a street art fever is raging through urban India and street artists from various parts of the country and all over the world are collaborating with nonprofit organizations to showcase their creative work. The booming Bengaluru street art scene is also drawing many talented individuals who are voicing various social issues through visual art. The best part of street art is its free and easy accessibility. This makes it reachable to a much wider audience and Bangalore is one city where they are blooming everywhere in vibrant colours. Eye catching, popular and exciting, here are some Bengaluru street art you just can’t afford to miss.

A beautiful whimsical graffiti Malleshwaram on the move is one of the best Bengaluru street art

Malleshwaram is on the move

Check out Malleshwaram

This part of the city, which is known for its polyglot culture has some really creative artworks. Some of them make you stop and think for a while. The larger-than-life gripping graffiti “Ignorance is blindness of the soul” can be spotted at Malleshwaram 6th cross. Also found at Malleshwaram station, in the midst of tracks and trains, is a huge beautiful interactive canvas depicting “ Malleshwaram on the move”. Showcasing a whimsical scene of the station, this one is a pure gem.

Bengaluru street art showcases women and girl trafficking in India

Missing Girl

Bengaluru street art speaks

The silicon city of India has a lot of artwork that focuses on the issue of trafficking of women and girls in India. The silhouette, “Missing Girl” combines art, activism, and technology. Few artists have painted the walls of a policestation in Ashoknagar highlighting and encouraging women to report any instance of abuse or harassment to the authority. “Guess Who” is an anonymous graffiti artist with a cool sense of humour. One of my favourites, Guess Who‘s witty one-liners are both interesting and thought-provoking. I love this artist sense of humour while conveying messages through arts. Church street is a popular hub for eateries, bookshops, and bars. Over the years, it has been metamorphosed into an art hub as well. Thus it is very apt that at Church Street augmented reality has been combined into the mural which depicts gender based violence.

Bengaluru street art on Ashok nagar police station encourages women to voice their complaints

Ready to report

Guess Who graffitis are full of humour and deep thought provoking messages

Collage of works of Guess Who

An artsy poplar place, Church Street has the best of Bengaluru street art

Experience Augmented Reality

A contemporary artist interprets the space on Residency road

The artwork of French graffiti artist and light painter Marko 93 mostly revolves around animals. From cats dogs to tigers, his work depicts the urban concrete jungle we inhabit.

Bengaluru street art also showcases see excellent international artists like Marko 93

The urban jungle

Go on a Bengaluru street art exploration

Rangoli Arts centre is one of the city’s public space dedicated to street art. Even the MG road has come alive with lots of colourful graffiti. In Bengaluru, various art forms are rejuvenating the city and influencing lives. Visual art induces you to look twice. It arouses instant appreciation for the artists, express vividly the messages conveyed and have the potential to change the way we think. Next time when you are in Bengaluru, don’t miss out the city‘s excellent street art hopping. It is one of India‘s premier open-air urban art gallery. You can find more information about Bengaluru street art at Capturing street art in Namma Bengaluru. For more of Divya‘s work, follow her excellent blog Thru D Lens. You can also find her on Instagram.

Bengaluru street art changing the cityscape

Old walls of Bengaluru get new lease of life

Thought provoking messages of Bengaluru street art

Street art speaks to us, only if we bother to look at them.

Bengaluru street art makes the city more colourful

Vibrant and colourful street art is taking over the world

NOTE – “Writings on the Walls” is an ongoing series in which I hope to collate awesome street art from around the world. If you wish to collaborate, please email me at svetlanabaghawan@yahoo.com and we can take it from there.

Follow the rest of the street art series

RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE