Wall Vandal: Daku

“In graffiti you need to be known by your alias”, that is the first remark Daku bestowed upon us when we sat down to chit-chat. He explains to us that it does add up the cool zing and creates an instant connection with your audiences. More so over it keeps you out of the reach of the law enforcers as graffiti is illegal in our country. We were so intrigued by his name that we had to ask him the tale behind the name – Daku. With a mysterious expression he exclaimed “The perception and nuances people have attached to this name or that of an illegal character – a Daku , hence here I am a dakoo in my own sense”.

Daku, as he prefers to be humbly regarded as, has made graffitis in various cities across India, Thailand, Iceland, Sweden and Germany. Most of our club hopping friends have seen his work in Delhi’s Hauz Khas Village, Mumbai’s Juhu and Mahalaxmi area, Bangalore’s nightlife lifeline M.G. Road and outside SET College in Ahmedabad. Amazed by the number of cities he has left a mark in, we quickly pop our next set of questions. So we asked him if he always wanted to paint the walls and he exclaimed “ No one dreams of becoming a graffiti artist, it just comes to you”. So how did he actually become one and he said, “I was keen on learning typography and sign painting. And it was after I completed my courses I found myself inclining towards this wall art form.” He made his first graffiti in 2006 in Mumbai and the next one in New Delhi in 2010, after which discovered the connection with this form of art and then there was no looking back.

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The moment Daku steps out of his den, he sets his eyes on a conquest to find his next wall. He emphasises on looking out for walls which are of less importance to others and where he would not have interference from the passing people. “You have to make sure that the art does not in any form hurt or demean anyone’s religion, customs or any person”, rants Daku. He mostly looks for walls which have the right kind of exposure for onlookers and have the right kind of lighting around the vicinity. He also tries to capture those walls which, according to his views, showcase a contrast between cultures, something like what he painted in South Delhi’s Khirkee Extension, which is bang opposite the posh Select CityWalk mall.

The art brat says his ideas come from the anonymous things around him. For instance, when there was a price hike in LPG prices, he heard a lot of pedestrians talk amongst themselves about how the prices have skyrocketed – and bang ! Daku got his next graffiti idea from there. So he made one of his most cherished graffitis of a rocket which has LPG written inside it. He personally wants to make more art on socio-political issues as it connects with the common man and creates more ripples than a vague art form. By this time we were pretty impressed by the ideology of this social-reformer-in-his-own-right but there was one question nagging in our head for quite some time; so we finally did ask him whether he got into any legal trouble because of his work? He laughed and said “Not until now. I could get into trouble if I showcase my artform on public institution’s property like CPWD, PWD etc. But until now I have managed to make the sweet escape.” Before we got through with this interaction, Daku pointed one more thing worth a mention. He said, “When was the last time a wall made you think?” And we were convinced to watch out for his work and the messages that were embedded through his art.

Daku endorses and praises fellow graffiti artists in India who are – Bond, Zine, Yantr, Anpu, Elf, Fabone, Konet and DemoGraffiti .

From the April 2013 issue of FHM India.