A wall art initiative that celebrates women
Over the last month four artists have painted in 15 cities across India
Beginning March 1, French artist Kesadi will spend three days painting on one of the walls of Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. Known for his poetic compositions inspired by everyday urban scenes, here the graphic artist will respond to the theme, ‘Women, Horizons & New Voices in Urban Art’, which guides the fifth edition of Wall Art India.
Led by Alliance Française in collaboration with the Embassy of France in India and Institut Français, since it first began, more than 40 murals have been painted across India and Sri Lanka. The process often involves local communities, students and NGOs.
This year, the month-long festival that began on February 10 spanned 15 cities across the country, including Jaipur, Thriuvananthapuram, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
The artists included Baroda-based Khatra aka Siddarth Gohil, known for his graphic depictions that are bold yet meditative. If French artist Kashink is known for feminist works that challenge social norms and celebrate freedom of identity, Dey MKO from Reunion Islands is celebrated for developing large-scale murals marked by an intense palette and powerful symbolism, exploring women’s strength, resilience and collective narratives. In Pondicherry, she painted a white building marked with the words “Alliance Française, from Pondicherry, my darling” in blue, and in Trivandrum, her mural features her protagonist seated beneath a flowering tree, set against a luminous blue backdrop.
“The idea is to focus on the inhabitants, the challenges of the region, and the environment. My main challenge is painting without spray paint or my usual materials, which means stepping outside my comfort zone, but in the end, I’m learning a lot and really enjoying painting here. The colours are very dynamic and intense. They blend together and create a very playful result. My sources of inspiration are what I observe and hear around me: a face, a scene, or even a conversation… everything is inspiring when you open your eyes and your heart,” noted Dey MKO.
Kesadi added, “My sources of inspiration remain true to my artistic practice: observing the world around me and drawing inspiration from the country’s values and culture. I try to interpret them through my own vision.”
Gohil, on the other hand, has, among others, painted a rooftop in Bhopal in bold colours, and at St. Mathews High School & Junior College in Mumbai. He stated, “Before visiting, I did not fully understand the depth of the school’s work. However, once I spent time there, it became clear that this mural had to respond not just to the wall, but to the values the institution actively practices. The school strongly promotes environmental awareness and sustainable habits, encouraging students to adopt these practices in their daily lives and carry them back to their families.
Considering that many students come from underprivileged and undereducated backgrounds, this approach creates a meaningful ripple effect within the community. Keeping these ethics in mind, I created a playful typographic composition on the school’s boundary wall. The mural features three words in Devanagari and English, rendered as bold 3D blocks that resemble children’s building blocks. These blocks symbolise the foundational values of the school: prakriti (nature), shiksha (education), and shakti (strength/women’s power). Together, they represent environment, knowledge and empowerment — the core pillars shaping the students’ futures.”
The finale for this edition will be held in Bengaluru on March 8. A note reads, “By taking contemporary art beyond traditional institutions, Wall Art India reflects the vitality of India’s cities and affirms the role of art as a tool for inclusion, dialogue and urban transformation.”
Beginning March 1, French artist Kesadi will spend three days painting on one of the walls of Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. Known for his poetic compositions inspired by everyday urban scenes, here the graphic artist will respond to the theme, ‘Women, Horizons & New Voices in Urban Art’, which guides the fifth edition of Wall Art India.
Led by Alliance Française in collaboration with the Embassy of France in India and Institut Français, since it first began, more than 40 murals have been painted across India and Sri Lanka. The process often involves local communities, students and NGOs.
This year, the month-long festival that began on February 10 spanned 15 cities across the country, including Jaipur, Thriuvananthapuram, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
The artists included Baroda-based Khatra aka Siddarth Gohil, known for his graphic depictions that are bold yet meditative. If French artist Kashink is known for feminist works that challenge social norms and celebrate freedom of identity, Dey MKO from Reunion Islands is celebrated for developing large-scale murals marked by an intense palette and powerful symbolism, exploring women’s strength, resilience and collective narratives. In Pondicherry, she painted a white building marked with the words “Alliance Française, from Pondicherry, my darling” in blue, and in Trivandrum, her mural features her protagonist seated beneath a flowering tree, set against a luminous blue backdrop.
“The idea is to focus on the inhabitants, the challenges of the region, and the environment. My main challenge is painting without spray paint or my usual materials, which means stepping outside my comfort zone, but in the end, I’m learning a lot and really enjoying painting here. The colours are very dynamic and intense. They blend together and create a very playful result. My sources of inspiration are what I observe and hear around me: a face, a scene, or even a conversation… everything is inspiring when you open your eyes and your heart,” noted Dey MKO.
Kesadi added, “My sources of inspiration remain true to my artistic practice: observing the world around me and drawing inspiration from the country’s values and culture. I try to interpret them through my own vision.”
Gohil, on the other hand, has, among others, painted a rooftop in Bhopal in bold colours, and at St. Mathews High School & Junior College in Mumbai. He stated, “Before visiting, I did not fully understand the depth of the school’s work. However, once I spent time there, it became clear that this mural had to respond not just to the wall, but to the values the institution actively practices. The school strongly promotes environmental awareness and sustainable habits, encouraging students to adopt these practices in their daily lives and carry them back to their families.
Considering that many students come from underprivileged and undereducated backgrounds, this approach creates a meaningful ripple effect within the community. Keeping these ethics in mind, I created a playful typographic composition on the school’s boundary wall. The mural features three words in Devanagari and English, rendered as bold 3D blocks that resemble children’s building blocks. These blocks symbolise the foundational values of the school: prakriti (nature), shiksha (education), and shakti (strength/women’s power). Together, they represent environment, knowledge and empowerment — the core pillars shaping the students’ futures.”
The finale for this edition will be held in Bengaluru on March 8. A note reads, “By taking contemporary art beyond traditional institutions, Wall Art India reflects the vitality of India’s cities and affirms the role of art as a tool for inclusion, dialogue and urban transformation.”
