Meet an artist on a mission to unveil the city's rich architecture through ink and water, in under 15 minutes
Esa Shaikh
Esa Shaikh is a lot like any other 26-year-old — except that riding a bicycle isn't a leisure or sporting activity for him. Cycling is more of a medium to merge art and history for Shaikh, an architect. He often takes off from his Mumbai Central apartment with a sketchbook. But he comes back with more. Another page in his book is now less lonely, revealing the intricate detail behind some of Mumbai's rich architecture.
Marshall and Sons, Fort
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"It was designed by Frederick William Stevens' son, Charles. I wanted to know more about other buildings designed by him. The Regal theatre in Colaba was one of them," says Shaikh. He was always fascinated with this Gothic building around Ballard Pier, after having read Christopher W London's iconic title, Bombay Gothic which traces the city's architectural development since the time HBE Frere took over as the governor of the city. On his process, Shaikh says that he always starts by fixing an angle. He then devices a mental frame and tries to incorporate tiny details, too. His mantra, he says, is constant practice.
Nipponzan Myohoji temple, Worli
Reading Murakami's Kafka on the Shore inspired Shaikh to explore the city's Japanese connection. The temple, built in 1956, immediately caught his attention in the bustling Worli neighbourhood. "As an architect, I've been trained to notice the scale, ratio and the tangible element. But what impressed me the most was the serenity that the monument provides," he says. Using an old bike as the painter's stool and chai as paint, Shaikh made a sketch of the temple. "I cannot help forgetting to carry paint but I really wanted to add the brown colour. And this being Mumbai, there's always time for chai," he says.
Khotachiwadi, Girgaum
On a trip to Goa, Shaikh was left thinking why houses there were so colourful. "Because it is helpful for sailors to spot the land from a distance in the sea," a native told him. So, he made a trip to the East Indian village in the heart of the city, and the locals didn't skip their turn to ask him questions. He says, "While conversing with them I realised that they are always troubled by visitors, and parking is a huge problem they face." The colourful piece was created by refilling the brush pen with different colours, while standing on his feet.
Church of St Andrew, Kala Ghoda
The Churchof St Andrew caught Shaikh's attention with its pointed dome. The Scottish church, or kirk, dates back to the 19th century. He stumbled upon it after he sought out out to sketch Lion Gate of the Naval Dockyard and was refused permission. "In the 1800s, the Scottish soldiers in Bombay would go pray at the church," he says. This piece was created while sitting on a footpath, in order to get the scale right.
Find his work: @city_reader on Instagram
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