British stadium artist nurtures a field of dreams, sets off to paint next match

On Monday, as Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru played at Wankhede Stadium, artist Andy Brown, 44, stood on the sidelines and brought the on-ground action on canvas.

- Aarushi Agrawal

MUMBAI:

A day after, seated at a café in south Mumbai, Brown holds up the canvas to reveal strong and vivid brushstrokes in acrylic, reflecting the energy within the stadium when Virat Kohli was on the pitch. With an eye for detail, he has captured the spectators in various moments of excitement, the multiple shades of the grass, colours of the sponsors' ads along the boundary and the flashlights illuminating the sky.

"I've tried to get the whole impression of the noise and the experience of being there," said Brown.

Brown has been commissioned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to visit the stadiums where IPL 2025 matches are being held to paint them live. (HT could not independently confirm this from BCCI.) "I look at the colours, flags, the heroes of the game, the architecture of the stadium, the little motifs on the players' uniforms; I want to capture the whole feel of being there and watching the game," said Brown.