Trained by Chintan Upadhyay, Thane jail inmates paint graffiti for exhibition

The graffiti painted by the jail inmates is named ‘Process of Decay’.

Titled ‘Process of Decay’, a painting exhibition has given nine inmates lodged at the Thane central jail much to look forward to. These accused have painted a large graffiti depicting 10 stories under the guidance of Chintan Upadhyay, the artist who has been arrested on the charges of killing his estranged wife, Hema, and her lawyer Harish Bhambhani. While the organisers have managed to find a facilitator amongst the inmates, for Upadhyay the task has helped him battle depression, jail sources said.

“The practice followed by us is to provide a facilitator who conducts workshops for prisoners. Sometime around May last year, I met Upadhyay, who is currently lodged at the Thane jail, and requested him if he could be our facilitator at the Thane jail. He readily accepted the request and agreed to impart painting lessons to inmates,” Kavita Shivdasani of Dagar Pathway Trust told The Indian Express. “Now, their work is ready and we have decided to showcase it in the exhibition to be held over the weekend,” Shivdasani said. Other than the graffiti, there are 24 paintings that will be part of the upcoming exhibition called ‘Tabula rasa’ at the Cymroza Art Gallery.

Of these, six have been painted by inmates at Byculla jail, one from Nashik and 17 from Thane. “We have conducted many exhibitions as a part of our ‘Art from behind bars’ project. Every time we try a new theme. After looking at the paintings we decided to name the upcoming exhibition, ‘Tabula rasa’, a Latin word for clean slate. A chance to turn over a new leaf and start anew with a blank slate,” Shivdasani said.

The graffiti is now a talking point among jail officials and artists alike. “While the background has been drawn by the nine inmates, Upadhyay has drawn the faces in each painting and then brought them together as a graffiti. One of the paintings even has his signature ‘baby face’ painted,” added Shivdasani. “The theme is dark but relevant. Decay is everywhere and the artist has just taken the liberty to portray it through art,” said a senior prison department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Talking about Upadhyay’s condition, the official said, “Last year, Upadhyay showed visible signs of depression like lying in a corner of his cell for hours and limiting his interaction with other inmates. Around the same time, while on a round, a senior official spotted Upadhyay staring blankly at a wall. He inquired with Upadhyay about his health and asked if he would like to paint again,” the official said. “We then provided him with paints, canvases, brushes and other art material. After a couple of months there was improvement in his condition. Since then, he has painted many paintings, participated in a few exhibitions and even prepared a mural. This time he agreed to teach and nine inmates have benefited from it,” the official added.

In August last year, after the requisite formalities, paints, canvases and other art materials were supplied to the inmates. Upadhyay conducted a nearly month-long session and, by the end of it, a 2×5-feet tall graffiti named ‘Process of Decay’ and 17 paintings have been put together by Upadhyay and his students. “Initially, 22 inmates at the Thane jail attended the workshop conducted by Upadhyay. However, during the course of the workshop, many dropped out as it clashed with their court dates and timings. However, nine stayed till the end and they have supplied the maximum art work, including the graffiti,” added Shivdasani.

The proceeds from the sale will go to the prisoners. “Whenever a painting is sold, we issue what we call an authenticity certificate, which includes a photograph of the painting, name of the artist, price and the jail where the inmate is lodged. The money is deposited in the accounts maintained by the jail staff,” said Shivdasani. “This money is available for the prisoner to use whenever he or she is released from the jail or in cases where they want it to be transferred to a family member, that is also done. Though in a small way, the money helps them when they start afresh after they step out of jail,” said another jail official.