CHARACTER BUILDING

The enduring language of Indian streets

- PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT BY POOJA SAXENA

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK IN THE CITY, there are words. Words that explain where you are, that tell you where to go, what to buy and eat. The graphic form of these words gives neighbourhoods their visual identities, and how we perceive their material and design informs our experience of these spaces. But who writes these words? Sign painters, such as Delhi-based Mohanlal Sihani, have been shaping the appearance of their localities by plying their craft, showcasing artistic voices without much recognition.

One is accustomed to framing cities in broad sweeps, and studying architectural—and even typographic—choices of historic or significant buildings. Who made these decisions and why helps better understand what these edifices and the letterforms on them hope to signal. Everyday signs, like those on the chemist shop or the next-door eatery, are rarely afforded this scrutiny. Likewise, to appreciate local signs, one must centre the people who design and make them, as well the community and infrastructure that nurture their craft.