“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” ― Leonardo da Vinci
Recently, Jay-Ho! The Jay Kumar Show came to know about “Negative magic art” which was used to create a picture of Jay Kumar, the talented host of the show. Intrigued as we were with the art, we reached out to the extremely talented artist Rahul Budguzzar who has been creating waves in the Indian art scene with his sheer talent. When we spoke with him, we got to know the artist behind the art: Rahul’s humble background, love of art, and his incredible struggle story in becoming an artist. Indeed, his story is a great reminder of the show’s mission: for a daily dose of motivation and inspiration with a tadka of entertainment.
Born in a small village of Uttar Pradesh called Choti Kashi, artist Rahul Budguzzar dreamt of becoming an artist in his childhood. He picked up the brush at the tender age of 5 and started painting and sketching. He dreamt of becoming an artist, someone who can paint his love, his emotions on canvas. But, his family’s background posed major learning challenges: having no money or guidance, he was his “his own teacher and his own student. I made mistakes, rubbed it and repainted it”. Nor could he afford proper materials. But, they were there for him emotionally and supported his decision to pursue art.
Started working at a tender age, slept on streets
Undaunted, Rahul persisted in his craft and in 2008 at the age of around 13-14, he decided to come to New Delhi to expose his talent in a city where his art could be valued and he could earn something through it. Struggle was his constant companion- he spent nights on streets, sat on streets and did random paintings but good ones. He even auditioned for “India’s Got Talent”, but he was not selected despite his unique art. Many people appreciated his art but it wasn’t enough. To keep himself afloat, he did a part time job in a travel company. Along with his part time job, he started painting on canvas. From the salary he received from his part time job, he could manage to pay the bills.
Dream burdened by responsibilities
Meanwhile, he had other responsibilities. Rahul had married young at the age of 18 since his mother’s poor health meant she needed help and company in a daughter-in-law. During this time, he got the admit letter to study in Delhi College of Art, but, since he was not financially strong, he couldn’t get admission there. At one point, he looked thoughtful and said, “India should have art colleges where a person coming from a poor financial background can get to learn more about art.” Responsibilities after marriage meant his college dreams were put on hold. Fortunately, his wife Sharmila Budguzzar stood by him through his struggles and encouraged him to pursue his dreams.
The game changer
Then suddenly one day, while working in his part time job, a stranger came there asking him about an artist who could paint some good crafts. Rahul told him about his talent and then Rahul started working in the company located in Gurgaon. His talent paid well but his coworkers’ behaviour compelled him to leave. Thankfully, by that time, he painted a fair amount and soon started getting clients on his own.
The magic touch on the walls of Delhi
Today, Rahul Budguzzar is a well known figure in the world of artists. He has achieved the success which he deserves, starting from earning Rs 500 for his craft to now commanding lakhs for his work.There is no such wall in Delhi, where his graffiti wall work can’t be seen. He has given restaurants such as Town Hall, Khan Chacha in Delhi the colourful touch of his brush. Flyovers, schools have the creativity of Rahul’s artistic imagination.
His painting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi grabbed a lot of attention and soon he also worked in the Swachh Bharat campaign. Today, he has named his art “Dayen Bayen Art” inspired by his own art. He says, “I used to look left and right and thought what can I create here, and so the name came Dayen Bayen Art.”
Rahul to be awarded with “Best Graffiti Artist Award”
Rahul is now at a great place in life and we salute his dedication to art and creating beauty and his life journey so far, which surely inspires all of us to work for our dreams like Rahul did. Rahul and Sharmila have been blessed with two daughters aged 6 and 7 respectively and come this Sunday, Rahul Budguzzar will be receiving “Best Graffiti Artist Award” from none other than the Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre for his extreme and special talent. We, at Jay-Ho! The Jay Kumar Show, are indeed honoured to meet such a talented artist and wish him lots of success for his dream to reach the global canvas.
