Roadside wall turns into message board for public

Artists, hearing-impaired students use colourful sign language to spread awareness on ‘deaf identity’

Treat for the eyes The wall is located under a flyover on Lodi Road. While about half of the 200-ft stretch has been painted, the rest will be completed later.

A colourful and proud reminder of “deaf identity” greeted passers-by on a central Delhi road on Saturday, with a wall under a flyover being painted with art that uses sign language to spread awareness.

The flyover on Lodi Road near Nizamuddin got a makeover with a message on Saturday, with artists from the street art collective, Delhi Street Art, teaming up with hearing-impaired students to paint a wall with sign language. Phrases such as “proud to be deaf”, “deaf culture”, “Indian sign language”, “deaf community” and “deaf identity” were painted on the wall in both sign language and English.

Skill training initiative

About 30 students of Centum-Gro, a skill training initiative for the hearing-impaired based in south Delhi, joined 15 participants from Delhi Street Art to first design and then paint the images, said Delhi Street Art founder Yogesh Saini.

“We wanted to show people that they don’t have to look at the hearing-impaired as handicapped,” said Mr. Saini.

Starting from about 7 a.m. till noon, the artists and students worked on the wall, painting about half of the 200-ft stretch that would eventually be covered. The remaining portion would have the same theme and be completed later.

Art in public spaces

Apart from this project, Delhi Street Art has been involved with the New Delhi Municipal Council’s public art initiative, including at the Children’s Park at India Gate and on several roads through the 3D zebra crossings.

‘Clean’ message

Next, Mr. Saini said, a wall on the Ring Road near Amar Colony would be painted on Sunday, in order to clean up the area and prevent people from urinating on it.