French artist Chifumi Krohom’s giant yoni mudra — a symbolic hand gesture that portrays the strength of feminine power— breathes life into a concrete facade at Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board colony in Ukkadam Art District. The graffiti is also a dedication to transgenders who live in the same building and earn a living as caterers. The art district, an initiative of St+art India Foundation, in association with Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation and Asian Paints, is India’s sixth and the State’s second open-to-all public art gallery. “Each design is driven by a powerful story,” says Akmal, assistant project manager of St+art India.
Raja Gopal Sunkara IAS, Corporation Commissioner, says such spaces make the city vibrant. “What we have observed, especially in Ukkadam, is a sense of community where all the residents and children join along and paint. It is a community activity rather than a mere artist’s impression.”
The young and vibrant look brands the city as cosmopolitan and attracts floating population too, he adds. “Metros like Mumbai and also American cities like New York have street art culture that becomes a part of the idea of that particular city. In Tamil Nadu, we are starting the same with Kannagi Nagar in Chennai and Ukkadam here.”
