CHENNAI: Chennai-based graffiti writer and street artist Aqueel, whose moniker is A-kill, is one of the six founding members of Chennai’s first graffiti crew, T3K (Tic Tac Toe, The Third Kand). Getting support from the places he touches with his spray can and his teammates, Aqueel has created numerous large-scale murals and graffiti, including those in Chennai’s largest urban slum- Kannagi Nagar, Chennai Central Railway Station, and Indira Nagar Railway Station.
Speaking to DT Next, Aqueel says, “As a kid, I was a slow learner, so the only thing I did well was in art. I studied digital illustration in Malaysia for four years. I came across a great form of visual communication on walls, graffiti. I immediately felt a connection. From there, I began exploring the art form and collaborated with several graffiti artists.
“It gave me the confidence and a platform to express myself and I have been doing graffiti and murals since.” He says he is inspired by the people he sees every day on the streets. They are both his inspiration and his subjects. Aqueel travels extensively looking for ideas that he can work on at his studio. He uses a variety of media and vibrant colours. However, he personally loves greyscale.
Talking about his experience working on the murals at Indira Nagar Railway Station, he says, “I was very excited when I got a call from St+art India saying there was a wall they wanted me to paint at Indira Nagar Station. I immediately agreed and was excited about the project because of how large-scale and meaningful the concept was. It was even more special to me because that’s where I grew up.”
The art is India’s largest panoramic mural that spreads the message of the shared humanity of how people suffering or having recovered from AIDS deserve an equal place in society. He and his team painted the faces of both AIDS patients and those who do not suffer from it, to reinforce the notion that there are no physical determinants of the disease.
His works can be seen on the walls of Goa, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Puducherry. Among all his works, his favourite is graffiti in Puducherry called ‘The Sushi Patti’.
He says, “It’s time to create your own narration of the world you’d like to see, rather than what the world is giving to you. One thing I would love to share is that I do graffiti not to impress anyone, but because of the pure satisfaction of expressing my art form.”
By Yardhini Devaraj
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