Sameer Kulavoor Casts Urban India in New Light with Striking Blue Illustrations

Blue tarp never looked so beautiful.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Indian illustrator Sameer Kulavoor, working for his own independent studio Bombay Duck Designs, has released "Blued," a set of illustrations that document the presence of blue tarps throughout the urban fabric of metropolitan India. The tarpaulin material is locally known as Taad-Patri and is used to cover various structures and objects as a durable, waterproof protection.

While the functional benefits are an obvious explanation for their ubiquity, the coverings achieve an unexpected secondary effect in enhancing the aesthetics of the surrounding environment. Kulavoor's illustrations highlight the beauty of the blues seen throughout urban India. The use of tarp creates colored surfaces, a unifying visual element present throughout the country. In depicting a cityscape in the way, Kulavoor elevates the industrial material, something that would previously never be considered beautiful. The artist reveals that this mass-produced blue tarp has become an aesthetic part of Indian culture and life.

[via It's Nice That]

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