G20 Summit: Yogesh Saini, the artist giving Delhi a makeover with his murals

Delhi streets have got an aesthetic makeover before G20 leaders arrive for a two-day summit later this week. Besides installing potted plants and drawing up a cleaning plan, the National Capital has beautified itself with street art dedicated to India’s presidency of the powerful bloc. One of the known names who has helped transform Delhi’s streets ahead of the G20 Summit is Yogesh Saini, artist and founder of Delhi Street Art (DSA). Let’s take a look at how Saini, his team and other artists have embellished the National Capital with their murals. Who is Yogesh Saini? After spending more than a decade in the United States, Saini, an engineer, returned to India in 2013. According to Indian Express, his journey as a street artist began with the beautification of dustbins at Lodhi Garden. Collaborating with the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Saini organised “Street Art Saturdays”, which attracted artists to come together to paint the garbage bins, as per a News18 report. “I started this journey with the Lodhi Art District. I want to make things beautiful with art… make people connect and talk about art,” Saini told Times of India (TOI). Speaking to Indian Express, he recalled, “I was always interested in art and would sketch as a child but this was the first time I was painting for public viewing. Luckily, my dustbin was approved”. [caption id=“attachment_13086672” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] DSA founder Yogesh Saini. Pic Courtesy: Facebook/Yogesh Saini[/caption] His DSA has been credited with the makeover of several areas in the National Capital, including Connaught Place, Nehru Place and Janakpuri. In 2019, Saini was also mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat monthly radio progamme. “A few days ago, I was watching the story of Yogesh Saini and his team. He is an engineer who left his job in America and returned to serve Mother India. Recently, he picked up the gloves to not just clean up Delhi, but to beautify it. With his team, he began with the garbage bins of Lodi Garden. Through the medium of street art, he has decorated many localities of Delhi with aesthetically appealing paintings. From over bridges to school walls to hutments, he gave a free hand to his talent, garnering huge public support on the way, on the lines of an effective campaign,” NDTV quoted the prime minister as saying. Saini and his DSA have reportedly painted across more than 20 cities in India, including Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, Himachal Pradesh’s Malana and Gujarat’s Ahmedabad. G20 murals For the G20 Summit, a mural on the South Extension Flyover pays tribute to balloon and book sellers, paan vendors and florists. “This artwork was done specifically to pay our respect to daily workers across the country,” Saini told TOI. As per the newspaper, pillars of south Delhi’s Moolchand flyover are painted in green and blue hues of the peacock – India’s national bird. Saini told TOI that murals of the monuments of the G20 countries now adorn Nehru Place. Late last year, DSA’s work in south Delhi’s Moolchand flyover for the G20 was whitewashed, reported Indian Express. The pillars between Dilli Haat and INA market boast of traditional Gond and Madhubani art paintings. “This is part of Delhi Tourism’s initiative for the upcoming G20 summit , and given its location, right outside Dilli Haat, we thought it best to work with folk art,” the DSA founder was quoted as saying by Indian Express. [caption id=“attachment_13086592” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Murals adorn Delhi walls ahead of the G20 Summit. PTI[/caption] Delhi’s Ring Road, which is close to the G20 Summit venue Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, has also undergone an aesthetic makeover. The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, in partnership with the Delhi civic body, has given its paintings depicting Indian culture a unique twist, as per The Quint report. Street art and DSA Street art is not easy. From road safety to extreme weather, artists face various challenges as walls become their canvas. “You are dealing with so many elements. You get used to the noise, traffic, heat and dust but you do need to worry about personal safety, especially while working at night or when painting at heights,” 60-year-old Saini told Indian Express. Speaking to The New Indian Express (TNIE) in 2021, freelance artist Mohd Intiyaz, who has worked with DSA, said: “In the history of India, rulers used art in public spaces to educate society. In time, news as well as social media has replaced paintings to educate people, and street art has been relegated to pop culture.” Last April, the Israel embassy in India joined hands with DSA to commemorate 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. To mark the event, a mural designed by DSA was unveiled at Connaught Place paying tribute to three Indian-Jewish actresses Esther Victoria Abraham, better known as Pramila; Sulochana or Ruby Myers; and Nadira or Florence Ezekiel.

In 2021, the DSA team painted a “wall of honour” for India’s Paralympic champions on the Pusa Road, with Saini telling TNIE that such murals serve as inspiration for the younger generation. With inputs from agencies