Mumbai: Tyler, the Indian Banksy, gets ready for solo exhibit

Tyler's art work first popped up on the streets of Andheri eight years ago

It was almost eight years ago that the painted face of Brad Pitt popped up on the walls in and around Andheri, with "Tyler" written under it-a resonating image for the actor's devil-may-care character from the cult classic Hollywood movie, Fight Club. Soon, "Tyler" became a buzzword. And very much like Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) in the movie, we don't really know who he is, but we do know what he stands for.

For the very first time in January 2021, the Mumbai-based street artist will be showcasing some of his latest artwork and art installations at the Method Art Space in Kala Ghoda and Bandra. Speaking with mid-day, Tyler said that the preparation for his upcoming art exhibition has been in the pipeline for a few months now. "There was a bit of hassle in zeroing in on a date, because of all the uncertainty prevailing amid the pandemic… but now that people have started stepping out, we took a call and decided to go ahead with the show."

"There will be around 30 works on display, including paintings, some installations… they are one-of-a-kind, I must say. It is the first time that there is a street artist showing at an Indian gallery, because there isn't a crowd here for that kind of thing… but someone's got to take the first leap and test the waters. There is usually a lot of noise around the art scene in Mumbai in January." When asked if he would be present for the opening, given that he prefers to remain anonymous, Tyler chuckles: "I might be there in disguise. You never know."

When asked if he was nervous or excited ahead of the exhibition, he said: "I have put a lot of my years into painting the streets and I think now is the time to take it to the gallery. I believe street art is a legitimate form of art, but for some reason, in India, it's never been displayed…there is this distortion about how people are going to perceive it. Street art has a completely different vibe-it's literally anti-art. I will be putting a lot of the essence of the streets into the exhibition so that people can come and experience street art within the setting of a gallery."

Sahil Arora, founder of Method Art Space, said: "Tyler's show will be a solo exhibit as part of Mumbai Gallery Weekend and will run from January 14 to March 7. To accommodate all his pieces, we're also expanding the gallery. My first exposure to Tyler's street art was when I saw his tags with Tyler Durden's face on Lokhandwala Backroad around 2010. There is mischief that comes along with Tyler's art, similar to the antics of Tyler in Fight Club, activities that are driven by questioning social structures and encouraging social change. There is also a sense of mystery around him-but the themes that he touches upon in his art are very relevant."

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