Graffiti magic

India is known as a colourful country and what happens when artists from another vibrant country like Brazil, combine the cultures to paint graffiti art? Pure magic — as can be seen on the walls of Lodhi colony in Delhi.

Bicicleta Sem Freio (Bicycle Without Brakes) is a Brazilian design and illustration collective formed by Douglas Castro, Victor Reyes and Renato Reno in 2005. Douglas and Renato attempt to bring a Brazilian touch to the posh Lodhi colony in the city’s south central area. “We realised how Brazilian colours blend with Indian colours in a very organic way and it’s the same for people.  When we paint in the streets, we try to exchange cultures. We bring our influence in a new context and adapt it within this surrounding and the community,” the duo share.

St+Art India foundation has been working to restore and recreate the Lodhi colony area into an art district for over two years now. The artist duo share about their collaboration with the foundation saying, “They have always been looking out for artists who can give a personality to the place. It is a matter of pride that they take such steps to bring artists like us, where we can portray our vision through our mural works. It is also our responsibility as artists to add colour and create a vibrant and happy environment in any country we travel to.”

Talking about the kind of research that went into deciding the designs and their inspiration they say, “We look into the colours, the flora, the fauna, people’s gestures and the interpersonal relations of Indian culture. We were bombarded daily with images, senses and possibilities. It’s so impressive, beautiful with such a rich culture. So we started from these points in search of inspiration. The process has been a personal and great learning experience.”

But is it always easy to collaborate with another artist and do their styles work in sync with each other? The artists say, “We always exchange our opinions with each other and it’s very helpful. We are very used to working together and have a great complicity when it comes to design.”

 The duo had a lot of creative freedom and a great support from the PWD department and Swachh Bharat mission. “The only requirement was to respect the culture of the community we were painting,” they share.

Douglas Castro and Renato Reno

Public art plays an important part in building a sense of community and graffiti is increasingly playing a huge role in this direction. Sharing their personal journey exploring graffiti, the duo says, “Our manager, Charlotte Dutoit, discovered us five years ago. Back then, we were working  with illustrations, exclusively in Brazil.  She guided us in public art among others things. Since then, our life has been a great adventure. We are not sure how to describe the importance of public art and how others receive it, but for us, the art form has transformed us and brought us to know so many people, artists, countries, and culture and also new design techniques. We are from a small town of Brazil — a state that does not have a  large representation in the field of art. Every experience in the public space has been rewarding.”

Their journey to India has  been a great learning experience. “When we arrived here, we walked through the streets of the capital, observing the parks and perceiving  colours in their different variations and applications. We observed the routine of the city and saw how rich life is in its most complex and simplest forms. What fascinated us the most was the people and the culture,” they conclude.