After talking to Marta Vanduzer-Snow about the new initiative her NGO, Safalgram has taken to paint the walls of homes and villages in Raebareli, I decided to contact one of the first artists to take part in the project.
Anpu Varkey is one of Delhi’s most talented visual artists. In 2012, she was a part of the Extension Khirkee Street Art Festival where she painted her first large-scale mural. Since then, her love for murals has only grown. While talking about Varkey, Marta confessed that she was “a big fan” of her work and found her to be “extremely professional and hardworking”. “It’s exciting to be around people like that”, she stated.
Varkey’s work in Raebareli:
An Interview with the Artist
Rhea Mathur (Interviewer): Tell us about wall painting. What attracted you to this art form? What about it continues to inspire you?
Anpu Varkey (the artist):
There were many aspects to it- the scale and size of a wall can be inspirational to work on, the viewership is in the millions if not more and often people come by to chat and talk about art, the city, sometimes they offer tea or fruits even lunch.
What will happen to you while you’re painting cannot be predicted, and I look forward to strange encounters with random people as well. Each city, street, town, is different and that’s what’s most satisfying, the thirst to paint will never die, so as long as there are walls to paint.
When Marta first approached you with this project, what made you want to do it?
Marta got in touch with me almost three years back, it took that long for the project to materialize. I found what she did in villages, making toilets without too many resources very stimulating, helping people get their first toilets in rural India especially UP, that’s very brave.
I actually never say no to any project. I try and do as much as I can, even if there are scanty funds involved. I’ve been to rural Bihar before so, going to a village wasn’t a first, but rural UP, that was a first.
How did you decide what to paint?
I had no idea how I would compute a design. The unknowing excites me, titillates me even. Marta was also persistent, which means she really wanted me there and that’s always so good when other people trust your skills and aptitude. But still, I hadn’t planned much in advance.
It was only after travelling through a lot of lovely mustard fields, that I decided to paint it. It’s very hard to decide upon the right kind of design but I also know who the audience is and I definitely wanted to make something that will sit nicely even after it ages. Also, on the first day, I encountered a Nilgai almost 20ft in front of me. The beast was so gorgeous that right then, I decided to paint that meeting with the beast. They are so majestic.
There is a photograph of you, in the background of which a young boy is holding a paint roller. How do you think the community received your art? Did it inspire a lot of questions from children?
The children were very inquisitive, hanging around, watching, being annoying at times too. I’m not sure how they received it, but they seemed happy about it, waiting patiently to see what’s been made, trying to decode which animal or bird it is. I interacted more with the women who were going about their daily chores, they usually stop by it chat. Kids just observe very keenly.
Is there anything special moment you’d like to share?
I met a girl there, whose family had a recently born goat that was sleeping with her. I’m drawn to animals and admire the bond they have with them. Any free moment and I’d go enquire about the girl and goat and I would force my affection on the poor thing. Somehow cradling it was the most beautiful experience I had. There were many puppies too, all so squishy and cute and Marta would feed them. It was good observe the bond they had for the animals and birds they nurture.
Lastly, when you look back at this project, what stands out in your memory?
Almost every evening, before sunset we would go for a long walk, sometimes in search of birds or just generally to take in the landscape and feel how time moves very differently there. All the kids running behind Marta, how they know her and her presence is very comforting for them. She has a good rapport with the people there, that was very touching to see as well.
It’s one of the best projects I’ve ever been a part of and I’ll definitely go back and do some more, when the time is right.
