New York City’s AIKO brings her signature icon, stencils and style to Mumbai in first solo India show

Bunny with Blue Heart

One never understands the snobbery of looking down at street art. From the walls of Santa Cruz, Argentina with its hand imprints from the Stone Age, to the works of Shepard Fairey, to Keith Haring and Banksy in New York, the streets have offered artists freedom, space and expression. AIKO knows that better than most. Having travelled to New York in the 1990s, she fell in love with the graffiti culture of the city, its radical opinions and courage. This week, she brings it to Gallery XXL in Mumbai for her first solo show in India, Follow The Bunny.

This is not her first trip to the Subcontinent. "I have had a long-distance relationship with India," the artist laughs. "I visited the country for the first time in 2015. It was wonderful, but last year, I was invited by the legendary Martha Cooper just to accompany her while she was working in Mumbai. It was amazing to watch the work that people were putting in," she shares.

Follow the Bunny - 7

So, when the opportunity arose to exhibit a solo show, it felt natural to her. The artist has always been a free spirit. She says, "I came to New York City with a suitcase and a dictionary. There was no Instagram or any social media platforms to reach out. I could not turn to Google for translations. The street became my best friend."

It was here that she met legendary names on the city's scene like Banksy, Shepard Fairey, FAILE and BAST among them. With a style that blends Japanese wood-block printing influences, symbols and references to punk rock and hip-hop, she blended into the world of free art. "Back then, graffiti was not popular. It was being done by a small group of people. That's what I like, doing things no one else is. Myself, Banksy and the others were nobodies. We survived on graffiti. None of the big galleries would ever give us space, so we had to create our own, build our own industry," she chuckles.

The gallery walls with AIKO stencil work. Pics Courtesy/artist; Gallery XXL

Twenty-five years later, she finds herself halfway across the world in Mumbai hosted by a gallery that she has, literally taken over. Gallery XXL director Joe Cyril points out, "When we wanted AIKO at the gallery, it was not just the artwork, but her using the gallery as her studio." This, of course, includes her iconic signature - the bunny.

Joe Cyril

To that end, the artist has transformed the South Mumbai gallery into her own canvas. "The show is an introduction to myself through my iconic bunny," she shares. The show, open to public on March 14, will feature two sections featuring nearly 60 works; one of stencil art and canvases that highlight AIKO's signature style, bunnies and Japanese influences, and another of rugs and textile prints of her art, Cooper's photographs of the artist at work and limited-edition prints.

Give Me street sign by AIKO

One of the key elements is an homage to city culture, spray paintings on subway maps, that AIKO carries with her. "I am like Basquiat [Jean-Michel] in that I spend a lot of time on the street collecting trash. This time, we found interesting street signs and subway maps with locally-found elements. My tools are knife, paper and spray paint. How simple is that?" she exclaims.

The artist works on an artwork in the studio

The experience of the local culture is also something the artist greatly enjoys. "Sadly, graffiti is now an offence in New York since 9/11," she says, adding, "I work and live in Lower Manhattan. The place is filled with franchises; it is almost like an airport. It has become gentrified." This has sent AIKO on a journey across Europe, the Balkans and to Asia. "I am 49 years old, and I don't know how long I can keep working on graffiti. But in the past, my legendary brothers and sisters have helped me, and that is what I am here to do for the next generation," she points out.

A mural by AIKO in New York City. Pic Courtesy/Martha Cooper

"Earlier this week, I was spray-painting the bunny on the gallery walls, and kids were cheering me on as they watched. The symbol is my chant. It keeps me healthy, and it is my way of communicating with people," she says. As for the show, it is a by-product of the city for the artist. AIKO declares, "Mumbai is one of the best canvases I have ever seen. For me this city is so beautiful, and seductive."

On: March 14; 6 pm (preview); March 15 to April 25, 11 am to 7 pm
At: 21 Arsiwala Mansion, first floor, Colaba.
Log on to @xxl.gallery to RSVP