Love, matinee idols and nostalgia shape a wall at Balamreddy Sandeep Reddy’s house in Hyderabad. The ‘memory wall’ has two murals narrating two diverse stories. While the first one (16x7 feet) features elements of cinema such as doodles of filming equipment, bust portraits of Kamal Haasan, Johnny Depp, Mammootty, Rajinikanth and Prabhas, the second mural (10x20 feet) depicts a king and his minister playing paachikalu (dice) as a tribute to his father B Srinivas Reddy, who loves playing the game of dice. “I wanted the mural in my bar room, to showcase my love for cinema and serve as a conversation starter,” he says.

Welcome to the world of customised murals elevating homes in Hyderabad. Something is charming about murals, says architect-artist Akula Shiva Kumar. The heavily-painted frescoes that adorned palaces, churches, and cathedrals with Renaissance themes, have transitioned into contemporary homes, albeit in a different form.

While paintings, photographs and wallpapers can also transform the look and feel of a space, a mural defines ‘you’ and represents your style, personality, journey, interests or anything dear to your heart.

Unique connect

Varshita Lakshmi

Independent artist Varshita Lakshmi’s mural art for homes and cafes comes with a copyright. Painting at least three walls a month (earlier it was one mural every four months), her five-year art journey has seen enquiries double in 2024.

Unlike a framed canvas or photograph which could be moved around the house, a mural is permanent and makes the imagery an integral part of the wall. “Art revitalises any ambience but a mural is unique; it feels exclusive as if the space has a personal message for you,” says Varshita, whose team also includes two women artists.

Growing trend

Mural created by Akula Shiva Kumar (inset) | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The democratisation of art and its appreciation now has made it accessible to everyone, not just connoisseurs or enthusiasts, and also made it an integral part of our lifestyle. Among the many reasons for this renewed interest is a young demographic with disposable incomes willing to invest in aesthetic home decor.

Engineer-turned-artist Sai Sandeep Gundu of Artvikta Studio notes the COVID-19 pandemic also brought us closer to the arts. Sandeep creates handmade paintings, murals, mixed media works, and abstract pieces, receiving around 30 enquiries a month. “Before the lockdown, people were more interested in materialistic things, flaunting Italian marble, veneer-finished doors or laminates to friends and family. Now they ensure that art becomes a significant part of their decor.”

Varshita agrees about the growing trend: “People understand the value of handmade art; they like to talk to their family and friends about supporting a local artist and getting something valuable done on their walls.”

How does it work

Artists either freelance or work with interior designers to brighten a blank wall which also complements the furniture or design aesthetics. But they are wary too as their work gets copied easily online.

Artists first discuss with a client to understand the design language to be incorporated into their interiors. The themes are often personal or diverse, ranging from tropical paintings, portraits, and doodles to mythological or Pichwai artworks as well as various Indian art forms like painting, sculpture, pottery, and textiles. Using emulsion-based paints, the artist spends around two to ten days on a painting, with its cost ranging from ₹250 to ₹400 per square foot. Varshita recalls painting a play area for kids in a villa based on the video game Skibidi Toilet. “It was different but fun and also the longest project as we took nearly 20 days to finish; the mural appeared as if a cartoon face was coming out of a toilet,” she recollects.

In this desire to have a unique wall, do clients often have unreasonable demands? The answer lies with Shiva Kumar, who says ‘no’ more often than ‘yes’ to his clients. Also the creative director of Saptaparni, a city-based hub for classical arts, the artist never recreates what clients request, as he believes that most of their demands are internet-driven trends.

By Varshita Lakshmi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“Sometimes, people don’t have ideas or a vision. They show me images from the internet, without realising that the paintings they see online are in an ambience that is very different from their homes. For instance, the house may be small or doesn’t have natural light as heavy curtains cover the windows. Also, factors such as the flooring, doors and even the ceiling height have to be taken into account. I frankly advise them: ‘Don’t do it; the house will be ruined.’

Shiva Kumar takes inputs from clients, visualises a concept and moves ahead only after he is convinced. “Ideally, conversations with artists can help expressions get conveyed more artistically. As professionals, artists can visualise ideas better,” he adds.

With just a few more weeks to ring in 2025, how about adding a new artistic mural to your home in time for a New Year party?