“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they’re having a piss.” ― Banksy, Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall

Some of the most potent political and social reactions have been the subjects of subversive countercultures.  Right from the hippie culture to the controversial skinheads. But while they have dominated with their lifestyles, expression through the medium of art has always been appreciated by social observers around the world. Perhaps it is the universality of the pleasure one derives from aesthetically pleasing visuals that help make these reactions so relatable to all.  As such, it’s hardly surprising that something like the graffiti culture (that finds its roots from the inscriptions right from the Roman and Egyptian times to modern day street art) can be found across the globe. While purists can be quick to dismiss street art as vandalism, it serves a dual purpose that can be well appreciated. It not only beautifies cities in most cases but it is also perhaps the boldest pictorial representation of a place’s culture, history, dissent, political meanderings and everything in between. Furthermore, it helps reach out to our own by broadcasting prominent messages on murals open for everyone to see, for free.

Though we were a fair bit later to the trend, Mumbai too has long since succumbed to the street art community, quickly transcending from shabby ‘Westiside Boyz’ wall scribblings to truly provocative artworks ranging from politically motivated to meaningless, yet beautiful sprayed-on pictures. Street art in the city of Mumbai has recently caught the fancy of not just global artists, but local citizens and the city’s municipal corporation that seemingly welcome this artistic beautification. Most messages carry extremely city and nation-centric pictographs while some are designed for the sense of comic relief. Or even nostalgia. For instance, when Delhi’s famous underground graffiti artist Daku inscribed the word ‘Fuck’ in devanagri script around the city, many people were amused. As one angsty teen put it, “We say it enough times in a day already. It was nice to see the graffiti as a constant reminder of the frustration of living in the city.”

Or you must have noticed the word Beanbag sprawled across walls, with a phone number under it, which turned out to be nothing but an advertising move for actual beanbag manufacturers. Either way, today we compile a list (visually represented too of course) of 15 of the coolest street art works we love around the city of Mumbai.

1) Tyler is a graffiti artist who has named himself after the legendary pop culture character in Fight Club, and often makes social inferences in his graffiti art. His trademark Brad Pitt sketches have become something of an unmissable stamp from the mysterious artist who only continues to grow in his popularity.

2) He is often known to make important society and cultural observations such as the one above, which he drew when Mumbai’s night life began to be affected by unnecessary police shutdowns.

3)  Adnate is another international artist who is often known for his extremely aesthetic art. He made several installations such as the one above, at Tulsi Pipe road, and one can notice his special dexterity when it comes to drawing eyes.

4) Daku, as mentioned above, took the city by surprise with his designs of ‘Fuck’ in Devanagri script. Far from critical shock, it was met with intensely amused reactions.

5)  Ranjit Dahiya, an extremely talented artist, always felt that the centre of Bollywood, Bombay, was not Bollywood enough in terms of its look, and started the Bollywood Art Project with Tony Peter. To commemorate Indian Cinema’s centenary, he began to draw huge mural drawings of Bollywood. Like Hindi cinema’s epic movie, Mughal-e-azam’s art you see above, made at Bandra’s Chapel Road.

6) This huge size graffiti of Bollywood’s big man, Amitabh Bachchan in Bandra was met with great enthusiasm and continues to be almost a tourist attraction these days, if not a great way to provide directions in Bandra’s bustling gullis.

7)  With the unfortunate demise of Rajesh Khanna, Bollywood Art Project drew inspiration from the star’s legacy with this colourful, snazzy mural design.

8) One of the favourite Bollywood Art Project’s work was this art of favourite Bollywood character, Mogambo. Its pop art feel and attractive colours are loved by all and has a quality that makes it admirable to all the many varied sects of the city’s society.

9) Prominent graffiti artist, Rock, known for his trippy pictorials designed quite a few walls, particularly like the one catchy, kitschy graffiti you see above, that can be spotted in Bandra.

10) This graffiti of a young boy eating popcorn that can be spotted at Chapel Road in Bandra is done on the wall of a house. More often than not, people encourage and are willing give their home spaces for design as it helps beautify the street.

11) This graffiti of a fish laid on the head of a woman with fish eyes was made to give representation to the fish-seller culture of the city. Especially the poem written next to it has great social inferences.=

12) One of the most attractive mural designs in Bandra, this design done on a momo store has graffiti of different moustaches in black and white ink.

13) This design titled Absolut Mumbai serves as an interesting metaphor. Not only does it highlight the ‘absolute’ nature of the city, but also the trippy art is significant of the high given by the ‘Absolut’ brand of alcohol.

14) This graffiti is a nostalgic reference to our Padmini Taxis that can be spotted in and around Mumbai.

15) Lastly, one of the most snazzy graffiti work in the city, with very psychedelic references.  Unfortunately, we were unable to uncover the name of the artist behind it.