CHENNAI: Walking past the Ripon Building in Periamet, one is bound to be mesmerised by the walls opposite. They tell the story of the city through colourful murals, encapsulating all that Chennai means, from buses and temples to its workers.
Across the city, from North Chennai to T Nagar, these walls stand decorated, asking passersby to pause and notice. While the art is widely admired, the artists behind it often remain in the shadows. These murals are created with love and passion by many artists who sketch, tint, create depth and add highlights, battling the sun, rain and other hurdles.
Andrews (54) is currently painting the upcoming SDAT sports complex in Korukkupettai, Old Washermanpet. For over a week now, he has been decorating the walls with portraits of PV Sindhu and other sports stars, bringing the complex’s skeletal structure to life. The art is meant to inspire young athletes who will soon train here.
“It was my curiosity that led me here. I am not formally trained,” begins Andrews, who has been drawing and painting since childhood. When asked why he chose mural painting, he says it is one of the rare art forms today. “Nobody does big-scale art these days. I have been interested in this from the start, and I want to sustain it.” He laments that the art is slowly fading into oblivion, with only a few taking it up as digital art takes over. “Ours is probably the last generation involved in work at this scale. While young people do come and see our work, I am not sure how many would take this up.”
Despite the risks involved, Andrews says the satisfaction lies in the outcome. “Once the work is done and you look at it from a distance, it fills my heart,” he smiles. He plans to start teaching art to children in Madhavaram.
He, along with many others, is commissioned by JPK Studio, which oversees most mural painting across the city. The studio is run by JPK Vijay, son of art director JP Krishnan, who has been an inspiration to many.
Sudalai (50) came to Chennai from Tirunelveli after Andrews called him to work on the SDAT complex. He is painting the portrait of a shuttler, standing nearly six feet above the ground on a bamboo ladder. Like Andrews, his interest in drawing during his school days led him here. “There is risk, but if we want to create art, we have to take it,” he says. This is his first project in Chennai. Earlier, he worked in Tirunelveli, collaborating with political outfits to paint politicians’ faces on walls and advertisements. His only wish is that the corporation and the government provide such work regularly. “Art is our only means of survival. We know nothing but art.” A few hundred metres away, the Ezhil Nagar flyover is being painted by the same crew. Once stark white, the flyover is now being brought to life.
Dakshina Moorthy (45) from Kolathur is about to climb the flyover to begin his work. “I have been an artist since school. After trying a few odd jobs, I ended up here painting these structures,” he says. He has worked on wall paintings and temple artwork across the city. While he continues for the love of art, sustaining oneself solely through it is difficult. “Sometimes there is no work for a week or so. When there is no work, I wait for the next project. I am the only artist in my family. Saving from previous projects is how I manage.”
MD Babu (45) is painting a bluebird on the flyover when interrupted. Positioned at a considerable height in the middle of a busy road, he works without protective gear. “I have been doing this for 20 years. There is risk, yes, but I love this job, so we put up with it,” he says. He was inspired by JP Krishnan, whose banners once lined Mount Road. “He had cut-outs of all the films on Mount Road. I wanted to draw like him. Now the age of banners is gone; everything is digital,” he adds.
Despite his passion, Babu does not want his children to follow in his footsteps. “People take up different jobs because supporting a family through this alone is difficult. Sometimes we are paid per portrait, sometimes by square foot,” he explains. Many artists he knows have moved into other professions. To sustain himself, he also works with oil and acrylic paintings and occasionally in art direction for films when mural work is scarce.
Ravishankar (60) is painting the interiors of the new T Nagar bridge near Ranganathan Street with murals of dancers on a hazy morning. He began in 1986, at the age of 15, progressing from scribbling in notebooks to painting the city’s walls. “He is the main man,” says JPK Vijay as he introduces him. Ravishankar’s journey began with political banners and wall cartoons before evolving into mural art.
The artist from Purasaiwalkam has worked on walls from Coimbatore to Chennai, receiving commissions from various quarters, including political outfits. Speaking of the challenges, he says, “While height is a risk, the locations are also difficult. Some places are extremely dirty, sometimes even filled with accumulated garbage.” His only wish is for more consistent work. “The government should recognise us artists. From construction workers to other forms of artists, everyone has a scheme. What about us?”