Walls that Speak: The Power of Public Art in India
There’s something about public art that just stays with you. Maybe it’s the surprise of stumbling upon it in the middle of a chaotic street. Maybe it’s the scale. Maybe it’s the message. But whatever it is, when done right, public art has the power to stop people in their tracks—and make them feel something.
As the 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘀, I’ve always believed that design should not be confined to clean, curated spaces. It should spill out into the world. Onto walls, into lanes, and across spaces where everyday life happens. That’s where it can really make a difference. That’s where it becomes a part of people’s stories.
𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀
Over the years, we’ve seen public art in India evolve. What used to be limited to political slogans or generic “beautification drives” has now become an expression of culture, resistance, pride, and social awareness. Murals have become the voice of communities, and in many cases, silent protests against the rapid, impersonal urbanisation of our cities.
Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai have become hotspots for this creative movement. They’ve given rise to artists and collectives who are turning grey walls into vibrant, thought-provoking canvases.
Public art, by its very nature, is democratic. It’s free, open, and visible to all. And that’s what makes it powerful. It breaks down the invisible walls that often separate “art” from “audience.” You don’t need a ticket or an art degree. You just need to look up.
In many ways, mural art also brings back a sense of ownership to public spaces. A painted wall isn’t just a passive structure anymore—it’s alive, layered with meaning. It reflects the community around it, its aspirations, and sometimes, its frustrations.
𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆: 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀
At 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘀, public art has become a natural extension of our design philosophy. We work with brands and institutions to craft stories visually—but when we step into the world of murals, we design for the people, not just for clients.
One of the most meaningful projects we’ve worked on is the Pragati Express mural.
This mural, created for Prag Industries, manufacturers of railway spare parts in India, stands tall on the outer wall of their manufacturing unit in the Talkatora industrial area. This is lifesize 96ft wide, 10ft tall and 10 ft, wide, creating a 3 dimensional image of a real train.
But, The Pragati Express is no ordinary train. It carries with it the soul of India.
Inside, we’ve painted lives in motion—
• 𝗔 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆…
• 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿…
• 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁…
• 𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘆, 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗲𝘆𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗱𝗶.
Each passenger represents a slice of real life—filled with hope, memories, fears and ambition.
These are not just riders. They are stories…of Dreams. Longings.
All moving forward together on the Pragati Express.
And of course, no tribute to Indian train journeys would be complete without the Bollywood moment. That iconic DDLJ moment where Simran runs to catch the train, and Raj holds out his hand. Because trains don’t just take us places—they connect hearts.
At the end of the mural, the train guard waves his green flag— A signal of departure. Of movement. Of progress. Of Pragati.
The idea was to create a narrative of collective growth, painted in bold strokes and layered visuals. What made the project special wasn’t just the scale—it was the engagement.
People stopped. They asked questions. Some shared stories.
It became more than a wall. It became a conversation.
𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱
While large-scale murals like Pragati Express have given us the opportunity to express larger narratives, we’re also beginning to explore new directions. One such exploration is our Plastic Art Project, an evolving initiative where we’re experimenting with using waste materials—especially plastic—to create public art that raises awareness about sustainability.
It’s still early days for this initiative, but the intent is clear: to spark dialogue, provoke thought, and maybe even shift behaviour, all through the medium of art in public spaces.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
At the end of the day, public art is not just about beautifying spaces. It’s about humanising them. In a world where we’re constantly surrounded by noise, clutter, and concrete, a painted wall can feel like a breath of fresh air. A reminder that art isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
India has always had a rich visual culture—from the murals of Ajanta to the tribal art of Madhubani. What we’re seeing now is a contemporary continuation of that legacy, adapted for modern cities and modern struggles. And it’s only just getting started.
As Studio Ideoholics, we’re honoured to be part of this movement. Whether it’s transforming spaces, experimenting with waste as a medium, or collaborating with like-minded artists, we’ll keep doing what we believe in: telling real stories on real walls—for real people.
Because when walls start speaking, the world listens.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿.
𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗴, hails from a Creative background with specialisation in Applied Arts, She learned how to use visuals to communicate and connect with the target audience. After gaining experience working with 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗯 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀, she gained insights and experience supporting various startups build brand identities that have lasted the test of time.
Madhuri is an Artist at heart and Designer by profession, founder of 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼, and The Plastic Art Project, she has always found joy in experimenting with different mediums to create Art and tell stories. She is also deeply interested in spirituality, painting, writing poetry and singing for joy.
Some of the brands for which she contributed to build include 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗖𝘇𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗳𝗲’, 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗳𝗲’, 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗻, 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗰., 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗮𝘅 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘀, 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗼-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, and many other startups globally.
