Decorating Bengaluru with yarn and painted trees

With fuzzy works of art spun in yarn to trees that double as canvases, art enthusiasts are taking their skills out to the streets

Last November in Shanghai, residents of Nanchang Road woke up to see trees in the neighbourhood wearing "sweaters". Experts had previously warned that the temperatures would fall below zero degrees Celsius, and anonymous artists had woven colourful patchwork-like quilts to protect the trees from frost.

Closer home, with mirror-work, painted forests and aesthetic designs, dead trees in Mumbai are becoming the stuff of selfie backdrop, as well as proud local landmarks. While one tree swims in a vivid yellow, an evil eye motif dotted across the trunk, silhouettes of birds of paradise fly over giraffes and stags on another tree.

"Art attracts most people. We treat the trees like a canvas, often repainting designs till we are happy with the results," says Neelu Virk. Virk is one of the 14 core members of Rastaa Chaap, a citizens' group that has risen to stand by Mumbai's trees. All of them are working professionals.

"We had about 2,000 rain trees; we've lost 1,108 since 2010 because of concretisation," she says. While the first step was to get people's attention, Rastaa Chaap's next step of action is to de-choke trees and plant indigenous saplings around the dead ones.

From investment bankers to schoolchildren, Rastaa Chaap sees a mixed crowd of people eager to lay the foundation of a new green cover and jazz up the neighbourhood. While Mumbai saw paint splashes, Bengaluru's streets encountered yarn bombing as city-based artist Ssmera left crochet knits on sign boards and lampposts around MG Road and Church Street. Attached to these were notes explaining how these removable knits could beautify the city.

Soon after, Ssmera met Kavita Arora, the founder of Bangalore Makespace and Open Source Creativity. Together, they've laid the foundation of a group called Yarn Bombing India.

The idea was to also show that the art of crocheting was more than a granny's pastime, explains Arora. The group saw a number of young men and children coming in, too. "Our role in society has to evolve, but we found that a lot of people turned up to learn the skill for free, and they found it difficult to look at it as more than just something to pass time. Ssmera often ended up finishing their knits," adds Arora.

A Rastaa Chaap initiative in Mumbai

But a crocheting success story, one that has even made it to the Guinness Book of World Records, is a feat by a group called Mother India's Crochet Queens (MICQ). When Chennai-based Subashri Natarajan asked people to come together to knit a record-breaking crochet blanket that would have a purpose beyond art for art's sake, over 2,000 people answered her call to action.

"Our youngest member is eight, our oldest is 86. Many of our members are first-time knitters. We had over 300 children helping us knit blankets - who says Facebook, Whatsapp and video games is all that this generation is interested in?" remarks Natarajan, an engineer. MICQ saw people from across India and overseas knitting in coffee houses, public parks and get-togethers at home. In six months, they were ready to put together what they had spun individually.

In a football field in Chennai this January, MICQ's crochet blanket measured 11,148 square metres. This new record towers over the previous one at 3,377 square metres, set by a group in South Africa. After the record was made note of, this giant blanket was broken up into 8,034 smaller ones, and given to charities.

"You get a great sense of satisfaction if your passion for art has a purpose," notes Natarajan, adding that MICQ members are now focusing on knitting caps, primarily for cancer patients.