Stop and Stare: Sameer Kulavoor’s Mural at Artisans’

“This idea came up two years ago when I met with Radhi Parekh who runs the gallery Artisans’. In ten days I went back to her with the concept of ‘handmade’ — a mural that would document the resurgence of maker culture that has sprung up all over the world. You have smaller boutiques for design, food, craft beers, artisanal coffees and more. I have been observing this refreshing change where people are recognising this new brand of local flavours.”

“The mural: An ocean of hands holding on to several tools. This best represents my idea of a homegrown culture.”

“Even my design space (Bombay Duck Studio), which I started in 2008, is being operated by less than five people. We have been resisting the temptation of growing too big. We do good work, we are a tiny studio and we like it that way.”

“This is a close range mural. And the biggest challenge we faced was that we could not cast our design on the wall, which means it had to be completely hand drawn. Since the lanes of Kala Ghoda are very narrow, we had to work in a congested area and permissions had to be taken from the neighbouring synagogue. We had around five days to execute this project.”

“I feel like I have left a small mark in an area that is very close to my heart. It was in the 90s that I used to walk around Kala Ghoda and visit the art galleries with my father. I feel privileged to be able to witness the evolution of this area. And I hope big corporates stay far…Kala Ghoda is better suited for individuals and smaller boutiques doing good work.”

“I urge people to stop and watch. Take in the details. And never forget the power and joy of creating something.”