Hyderabad Street Artist Returns with Social Murals
Street artist Siddharth Gohil is back in Hyderabad with large-scale works as part of the "Walls That Speak" project. His murals emphasize social themes and urban identity, continuing the trend of cities embracing public art for community engagement and urban renewal.
Siddharth Gohil, who works under the moniker "Khatra," first made his mark on Hyderabad's streets in 2016 in the Maktha Art District. As part of a St+art India Foundation project, he and other artists created a humorous mural of an old man with a single tooth holding a toothbrush with just one bristle, an artwork that was inspired by and became an inside joke with the local community. His current work in the city is part of the fifth edition of Wall Art India, a festival organized by the Alliance Française network that connects Indian and French artists. The month-long festival spans 15 Indian cities and features three artists from France alongside one from India. Gohil's new abstract mural is located at the Alliance Française de Hyderabad in Banjara Hills. Gohil's artistic alias, "Khatra" (danger), originated from his early stencil graffiti experiments where he replaced the symbol on ubiquitous "danger" signs with visuals reflecting social issues. His work often blends typography, geometric abstraction, and themes drawn from the local context, such as his "Threads of Tradition" mural in Shillong which highlighted Meghalaya's textile heritage. The artist's background is in graphic design and typography, and he was mentored by Anik Pureshi, a founder of the St+art India Foundation, which has been pivotal in creating public art districts like the Lodhi Art District in Delhi. Beyond Hyderabad, Gohil has created large-scale works across India, including what is considered India's largest panoramic mural at Chennai's Indira Nagar railway station, a project aimed at de-stigmatizing the HIV/AIDS community. Street art in India has evolved from being seen as vandalism to a powerful medium for social commentary and community engagement. Artists and collectives across the country use public walls to address issues like gender equality, environmental concerns, and cultural identity, transforming urban spaces into open-air galleries accessible to all.
