All the sketchy details
Brunch|May 25, 2024
Insta is full of street photography. Meet three illustrators whose works pack in more than the viewfinder can see
Karishma Kuenzang
All the sketchy details

Aditya Raj, Delhi @Adirajart

Aditya Raj's policeman father was typically posted in small towns, where there wasn't much to do. So growing up, Raj doodled cartoon characters on scraps of paper, and stuck them on the walls. By 2016, after he finished law school and was living in Delhi, he knew art was his calling.

"I wanted to paint the mundane. Things one overlooks. We keep going to the same bookstore or kachoriwala, but rarely stop and look at it for its beauty," says Raj. "Delhi gave me my politics, and understanding of so many things. It's no surprise that I wanted to paint it."

In Raj's watercolour works, the city seems chaotic, but also calm. A hawker's cart full of mangoes provides a pop of yellow against a grey landscape. Generations-old shopfronts huddle companionably, overwhelming the senses just as they do when you navigate old Delhi.

Raj paints from reality, only changing the scale for effect. He captured 4S, an old queer-friendly pub in Defence Colony, which he visited through law school. "When I finally decided to paint it, I gathered all my own stories and experiences and put them in," he says. "The work is a moment in time and I like to keep it like that. It's like a small little private story."

Raj's prints start at ₹3,000 for an A4 piece.

Paul Fernandes, Bengaluru @apaulogy_gallery

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BRUNCHView all
Fit Check? Look Behind You
Brunch

Fit Check? Look Behind You

In gyms, someone is always filming. We are all in the frame without meaning to be. Is privacy at odds with fitness goals? Is consent even possible with all those mirrors?

time-read
2 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Avantika Dassani
Brunch

Avantika Dassani

Actor, @AvantikaDassani

time-read
1 min  |
November 23, 2024
Keep your i on this BMW
Brunch

Keep your i on this BMW

The brand's beloved sedan has now gone electric. The i5 M60 has a sci-fi roar and razor-sharp graphics. It's worth the hype

time-read
2 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Why adapt when you can evolve?
Brunch

Why adapt when you can evolve?

Sometimes, the movie or show does it better than the book it is based on. Here's when to stream not flip

time-read
2 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Sharp edges, blunt words
Brunch

Sharp edges, blunt words

British chef Heston Blumenthal has gone public about his struggle with ADHD and bipolar syndrome. He hopes it calms kitchens down. It's hot in there already

time-read
3 mins  |
November 23, 2024
The suitable boy
Brunch

The suitable boy

He's played lovers, taxi drivers, street rats and rich brats. He's redefining what it means to be the token Brown boy on set. But would he be on a reality show? Ishaan Khatter tells us why he's a career chameleon and how he got here

time-read
4 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Stay stylish in your cubicle
Brunch

Stay stylish in your cubicle

Everyone's back at the office. Covid flexibilities are long forgotten. But being comfortable is still key. So, what are we wearing to work?

time-read
2 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Hey, I found you online
Brunch

Hey, I found you online

Baby pics, emo selfies, old tweets outing the ex. If it makes you cringe, it makes HR departments do too. Here's how to clean up your digital footprint

time-read
3 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Is It Scrolling Or Screening?
Brunch

Is It Scrolling Or Screening?

Being on the phone while the TV plays is the new normal. Just don't do it when there's company. A case for what it means to be present

time-read
2 mins  |
November 16, 2024
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Preferring the spinoff.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 16, 2024