Chennai: Every time Jagruti Gulechha sees a bare wall, she turns ‘restless’. The Indira Nagar resident who is a mother of two, has painted 97 walls so far in a span of five years.
“I am starting my 98th wall in the coming week. The project is in Mylapore and will take up atleast 20 working days,” says a thrilled Jagruti. “In all these years, I have repeated my design only once, since the client wanted the same,” she says, stressing that an artist always wants to create something new.
Her designs, according to her, are Indian and appeal to all age groups. “When people say wall art, they think of graffiti and funky designs, but that is not what I do,” she notes. Her designs are suited even for a basic Indian home.
“I was once watching a TV serial, when I saw something painted on a wall. That was when I wanted to do the same thing,” says the B.Sc graduate who never underwent any kind of formal training.
Her home too has three walls coloured, with one having the painting of twin horses galloping. Something, a person can stare at for hours.
“I don’t have a fixed design or a catalogue. I sit with the client and arrive at something that has never been done before,” she says. “Before I took my first order, I did 30 walls spending my own money. Until one day, my close friend gave me a project. Then with word of mouth and social media, I started getting paid works, she explains. She has also painted the walls of her children’s school, it is learnt.
“When I see a blank wall in my house, I feel like it tells me, ‘come on do something’. Also, any surface, when bare, will just be an inconsequential background that nobody notices. But once it is painted, it adds to the area’s ambience. It becomes an identity by itself,” she states.
Of the several projects, one that she did for a young girl, remains her favourite. “The client Sanjana had visited NASA a couple of years ago. She was bowled over by the Atlantis rocket. When she got back to India, she wanted that painted on her bedroom wall. This is when they got in touch with me,” she recalls.
Another unforgettable experience was when she recently spent time with six children, who were hospitalised, with some of them terminally ill.
“I made them paint the walls. They created little log houses, ponds, trees and rabbits. It was nice to watch them improvise,” she smiles. She does want to give the walls of the city a makeover.
“Something that goes with the the spirit of Chennai. Day-by-day, the city is becoming more cosmopolitan. I think the walls should show its cultural significance,” she concludes.