Australian artist Guido van Helten is back with this stunning mural celebrating Dharavi’s hip hoppers in Mumbai, India.
Through his work, Guido van Helten likes to build on the context of the spaces he works within. Having met Aku from the :: SlumGods :: crew – a hip-hop collective empowering children through teaching them the elements of hip-hop in Dharavi, during the Sassoon Dock Art Project, Guido spent sometime in Dharavi, making photographs and understanding more about the space through the eyes of Aku and his friends who gave him a first hand sense of the vibrant street culture of Dharavi.
The artist decided he wanted to paint two boys – Bboy Pro kid and Bboy Abhishek – framed mid-action doing what they do best – dance. The mural is a representation of the future of youth culture and the strength of creativity and expression in Dharavi through dance, graffiti and hip hop culture. It is reflective of the emerging and contemporary face of Dharavi, which is far cry from the skewed inaccurate image that is portrayed to rest of the world.
The photorealistic mural adorns two buildings on Jasmine Mill Road in the Mahim (E) Matunga labour camp.
Photographs by Guido Van Helten. Text by St+Art India.
Festival supported by Asian Paints
Guido van Helten
Part visual artist, part anthropologist, Guido Van Helten, 29, is an Australian contemporary artist dedicated to paint large-scale, site-specific mural works. His subjects are black and white and sepia toned portraits, like old photographs that speak of the history and stories of the places and people he visits.
Author: Fran
Founder and editor of Urbanite. Street Art lover who after the finishing her MA thesis on the Mexican and Norwegian muralist movement in the 1920-50s, developed a fascination for street art and graffiti that eventually led to collaborations with different art blogs, including the creation of this one.
