By Maya Lalchandani
From canvases to cars to mall installations, artist Sangeeta Babani has experimented with a variety of mediums in the course of her artist career. So, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioned her for a series of murals to be painted on public highways and underpasses in preparation for the G20 summit in Mumbai this year, it was an opportunity she jumped at.
The Spain-born artist made Mumbai her home after marriage. “So much has changed since I started. The move to another country brought about the transition, of course, it changed my presentation. But not my style,” she asserts. Famous for her vivid David Hockney-esque paintings of people and landscapes, she also dabbles with installations and performance art.
Painting murals in public spaces was something Sangeeta had wanted to do for many years. Before she was approached by BMC to create a mural inside the Bandra Reclamation underpass, she already had a few designs and references that she had readied for Mumbai airport, so she presented those to the folks from BMC.
They loved her concept but there was a catch: she would have to finish the project in just five days.
Sangeeta always loved a challenge, so she grabbed the opportunity and went to work on her project titled ‘Think Blue to Go Green’. Hers was one of 320 new BMC projects budgeted at Rs 110 crore to beautify Mumbai ahead of the G20 summit. While the prime focus was on concretisation of roads, upgrading public toilets, sanitation, traffic islands, footpaths, bridges, gardens and the like, artists were also deployed to exhibit their brand of art all over the city. Each ward had an allotted spend for beautification.
Soon, Sangeeta was approached by the BMC again, this time to put up a sculpture titled ‘Quest for Knowledge’ at Pali Hill, Bandra, which has many schools in the vicinity. “As citizens, each of us must contribute towards ensuring that each child receives the best opportunities,” she says of the aim of the project, which was inaugurated by actor Dia Mirza and other dignitaries.
This is not the first time that Sangeeta has created a public installation. In 2016, she had been commissioned to set up an installation at Palladium Mall – an 18-foot structure made of scrap, used metal bottle caps, parts from typewriters, gramophones and so on. She called it ‘The Lost Art’. The response was so encouraging that the mall developers, the Piramals, decided to extend the exhibition time, even moved the installation onward to their next mall at Market City, Kurla.
As a contemporary artist who has loved the city like her very own, Sangeeta’s canvasses capture whole stories and relay them in multicolour: skyscrapers, cars, ordinary people and medley scenes are all transported into the bustling city life of Mumbai. Her nudes depict stories of relationships in the chaos of the mega city.
As sponsors began to understand her art, they offered her different canvasses to experiment on, “almost like urging her to venture into the unknown”. Tata Motors was the first corporate house to reach out and offer her something totally out of the blue. They needed an artist who could paint live over two days, someone who was unafraid of the camera.
Grabbing the opportunity, Sangeeta found herself painting on their first art Nano Car (2012), showcasing her creativity amidst all the media glare. She went on to paint cars for many other brands such as BMW (2015), Jeep (2018), Mercedes Benz (Delhi, 2019) and Audi (Hyderabad, 2023).
Among her other experiments was creating art at a philanthropic event to raise funds for cancer research. She painted her canvas on stage in a mere 15 minutes, while the tabla played and a performer danced.
She also had solo shows at premier platforms including Jehangir Art Gallery. Alongside, she researched and worked on her film debut that layers Urdu poetry with art. Written, directed and produced by Sangeeta herself, it is currently doing the festival rounds and has been nominated for two awards at the upcoming Madrid Film Festival in September.
Her current work for BMC is one of her largest projects so far. An expansive space of 900 feet covering a sizeable stretch of the Western Express highway, the Milan flyover project in Santacruz has tested Sangeeta’s art and management skills.
“The experience was quite stressful. Everybody who looked at the drawings, including my husband, declared it impossible to execute, as the theme needed perfection, and the deadline was just 15 days,” she says.
The theme suggested by BMC’s H West ward commissioner Vinayak Vispute was ‘Mumbai landmarks’, and the design required careful detailing so as to bring life to the infrastructure.
Sangeeta selected monuments like the Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Hotel, the Asiatic Society, Marine Drive, the BMC headquarters, Flora Fountain, Wankhede Stadium, Haji Ali Dargah, Sea Link, Siddhivinayak Temple, Bandra Station, and Mount Mary Church.
“We had to first paint the fibre [structure] in one colour. Then we worked in different batches in peak Mumbai summer with temperatures touching 38° Celsius,” she recalls. Managing the team was a daunting task for Sangeeta. “Some painters would run away because of the dire circumstances. Paints and brushes were stolen, apparatus like the air compression pump went missing,” she narrates of the challenges of painting a public mural in a big city.
Finally done, the team covered the mural in PU coating (polyurethane paint) to help it withstand all kinds of weather conditions. “It should last more than a couple of years,” surmises Sangeeta.
Currently in talks for more such art projects, Sangeeta has her sights on painting all over the city, and even the country. “Opportunity should never be wasted and, after all, I am an artist!’ she smiles.
Maya Lalchandani is a Mumbai-based entrepreneur, writer and the author of Paiso (Penguin Random House).
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