For the past few weeks, a reel on a new mural location in Kolkata has been going viral on Instagram. An almost- 5,000 sqft wall painting has turned a stretch along Basanta Lal Saha Road near Tollygunge into the city’s latest photo hotspot.
From photographers to content creators, the mural has been attracting crowds from across Kolkata. Behind it is Sayan Mukherjee, the same visual artist who transformed Ballygunge’s Deodar Street into a colour corridor and gave Kolkata the viral and colourful Durga Puja trams and taxis.
The Kankurgachi boy’s journey into art began at home, where his grandfather, a painter, inspired him.
Mukherjee shared, “From the very beginning, in my childhood days, I used to see him paint. I could draw better than most of my friends. But I never thought that I would take up art as a career. My father wanted me to become a doctor.”
That changed when he joined the Indian College of Arts and Draftsmanship. Advertising followed, as he moved to Bangalore, with nearly a decade spent as an art director across agencies. But the pull to create art independently never faded. “I did not enjoy corporate life as an artist. I always wanted to do something on my own,” he said.
While working full-time jobs, he continued his parallel practice in illustration, book covers and graphic storytelling.
His turning point was when he returned to his hometown to focus on his own work. Then, a course at the School of Visual Arts in New York helped him recalibrate his career.
From advertisements and book illustrations, Mukherjee ventured into street art with murals at Eden Gardens. “I got an offer to do the mural for Eden Gardens. I said yes. At that time, I didn’t know how to do it. I learnt it on the job and started understanding scale, surfaces and collaboration,” the artist said.
Today, Mukherjee’s murals are landmarks across the city. From the ‘Colour Corridor’ at Deodar Street to works across New Town, Barrackpore and beyond the state, his art has been a talk of social media time and again.
His recent project on the boundary wall of the new Bhawanipore Global Campus, spanning nearly 5,000 square feet, has gone viral online.
Built around the concept of left and right brain, it portrays both technical disciplines and creative imagination. “Through the artwork, I have tried to show that the left brain is less colourful and more technical. The right brain is more colourful and more idea-centric,” he explained.
For Mukherjee, the response of the crowd matters more on the ground than on-screen.
“When I revisit these places, I like to observe the reaction of the people. I went to Deodar Street the other day, and the locals told me that I’ve made the place viral. It wasn’t a good place. It was dirty, dingy and dull. Now, so many people come. That is something I like. It has had a social impact.”
For those who follow Mukherjee on Instagram know his canvas is not limited to walls.
During Durga Puja 2025, he also brought his storytelling to Kolkata’s iconic yellow taxis and trams as part of a special project. He was a part of Asian Paints Sharodshomman’s 40th anniversary celebration. Through his art, he portrayed the evolving third decade (2005-2015) of Kolkata taxis, capturing cultural shifts. The third decade was significant for Kolkata’s yellow cabs as it began its battle for survival as app cabs entered the market. Mukherjee’s art told the story of Kolkata’s iconic cabs.
According to Mukherjee, street art is not just about beautification. He said, “Not many people get a chance or think of going to an art gallery. But the art can greet people as they go around the city.”
As he did at Deodar Street, where his concept of “home outside home” brought memories of old Kolkata households to street art. The artwork captures nostalgia through objects rather than people. “There are no people. But all these objects are telling their stories,” he said.
The artist, in his late 30s now, hopes to beautify more walls, collaborating with more organisations.
