In 2013, artist Hanif Kureshi co-founded St+art India with the mission of transforming the streets of India into vibrant canvases. He could not have anticipated that this initiative would not only achieve its goal but also inspire countless others. “Our aim is to make art more accessible. When you’re in a gallery, your concerns differ; this is art on the streets, for everyone,” Kureshi stated in a 2022 interview with The Indian Express.

Kureshi, who passed away on Sunday after a battle with cancer, was known for making art accessible to the public, bringing it to the very streets where people walk.

A graduate of MS University, Baroda, Kureshi also had a brief stint in advertising. His fascination with sign-board painting and hand-lettering led him to explore India’s by-lanes, where he began commissioning local sign painters to create unique alphabets in their distinct styles. Noticing the decline in patronage for this art form, he digitized the fonts and established HandpaintedType. St+art India was envisioned as a not-for-profit organization focused on public art projects.

Kureshi’s quest for suitable neighborhoods for street art brought him to Delhi’s Lodhi Colony in 2013, following a friend’s recommendation. The area, with its inviting walls and pedestrian-friendly lanes, soon became a canvas for murals that captured immediate attention. This was not mere graffiti, often linked to protest art; rather, it was an effort to introduce India to street art, filled with engaging imagery and messaging.

Today, St+art India organizes and collaborates on art festivals across the country, having painted murals in numerous cities, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Kureshi himself actively participated, wielding the brush on various occasions. For instance, in Lodhi Colony, he collaborated with Australian artist Georgia Hill on a mural featuring the words ‘Yaha’ and ‘Must’ (This must be the place). Earlier this year, he painted in braille for visually challenged students at a school in Rajasthan. His 2018 installation for the Sassoon Dock Art Project explored the interplay of typography, smell, and memory.

Kureshi exhibited his works globally at prestigious venues, including the London Design Biennale, Venice Biennale, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Triennale Design Museum in Milan. His solo exhibition took place in June at Wildstyle gallery in Sweden.