Former adman and street art pioneer Hanif Kureshi passes away

Delhi’s street art scene has dimmed with the passing of Hanif Kureshi, co-founder of St+art India. Kureshi, widely recognized for bringing art to the streets and making it accessible to the masses, passed away on Sunday at the age of 41 after a battle with cancer.

A graduate of MS University in Baroda, Kureshi briefly worked in advertising before fully committing to public art. In 2003, he joined Ogilvy & Mather as a senior art director, and later, in 2008, he worked with Wieden+Kennedy as a senior creative, honing his skills before venturing into the world of street art.

His fascination with sign board painting and hand-lettering led him to explore the narrow streets of India, where he sought out local street sign painters, commissioning them to paint alphabets in their distinctive styles and fonts. In 2013, Kureshi co-founded St+art India with the goal of transforming streets across the country through art. Kureshi played a pivotal role in founding the Lodhi Art Project, turning Delhi city’s walls into a vibrant outdoor gallery.

St+art India, the platform Kureshi helped build, continues to curate art festivals across the country, leaving its artistic imprint on the walls of cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai.