The whole world is their canvas

Mumbai, May 20 (UNI) Gods and saints sharing space with nature, portraits and abstracts against the backdrop of discoloured walls and iron railings.

Welcome to the world of pavement art in this megapolis.

Their works might not fetch millions and find place in plush art galleries, yet the pavement artists continue to give expression to their struggle and hopes on as diverse canvasses as leaves, train ticket and passes and grains.

Many such creators can be spotted at the pavement next to the Jehangir Art Gallery displaying their works and waiting for customers.

Swaroop (20) and Rajesh (24) are two such young and enthusiastic painters who have chosen to live through this difficult life just to live their dream of making it big in the art world.

Over a few pints of beer on a hot afternoon, Swaroop, the outgoing of the two, soon opens up.

He is originally from Dehradun, but has settled here with his father. He is the eldest of four and has dropped out of the high school to pursue painting. He has been a regular on the pavement art scene since 2003, when he was 16. Having no formal training, apart from what he learnt in his art classes during his school days, Swaroop has developed his own style of 'modern' painting.

And why not? Picasso is his hero after all.

''His paintings might look childish and strange to the untrained eye. But that is where his genuis lies,'' claims Swaroop about his hero's work.

Swaroop mainly paints on peepal leaf, and now has added train tickets and passes as his 'canvas'. ''I want to add value and beauty to a piece of paper that is usually thrown away after a day,'' he says.

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