Making of Sticker Art
Each and every taxi that roams the streets of Bombay is unique in its design and look, just like a snow flake. This is thanks to the upholstery, dashboard altars, lights, steering wheels and the vinyl stickers on the outside. The driver may hire the taxi from the owner everyday but in spite of not owning it, will create an alter on the dashboard in ode to his personal God or Goddess. You may see fresh flowers, small posters, silk cloths, fairy lights and other such paraphernalia decorating and bouncing on the dashboard as the taxi weaves through traffic. Each taxi is like a carrier for a God, decorated to the hilt. One of the taxis I got into even had an incense stick that was still burning since the driver had just finished his morning prayers.
After encountering the CR issue and the taxis themselves, I was keen on exploring this lesser known art form in The Taxi Takes on Terror. The pictures document the story behind the making of the image you see on the website.
The unique designs and typography on the black and yellow cabs splash the city of Mumbai with art and color and anyone with half an eye for design will be awed by these one of a kind taxis.
The folks at Creative Review showcased the urban art of Mumbai taxis on their April Issue cover. Have a look. They made a short documentary on two of the leading ‘radium wallahs’ - artists who create vinyl sticker designs for taxis. Manohar and Samir Manohar Mistry talk about how the Mumbai taxis got their colorful stickers, the process and context.
