Delhi’s new street art plays to legendary music conductor Zubin Mehta’s tune at Lodi Colony

On Friday, when this street art was unveiled as a tribute to one of India’s most renowned music icons, the inhabitants, passersby as well as regulars paused their routine to admire the art and rewind to Mehta’s vast repertoire. At the heart of the artwork commissioned by the Embassy of Israel in New Delhi lies the story of this musician — who recently turned 90 on April 29 — and his journey that has been deeply intertwined with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which he has been a conductor of since 1961. Interestingly, both Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra complete 90 years this year, making the mural a symbolic tribute to a shared legacy in music.

The vision, which celebrates the long-standing cultural and artistic relationship between India and Israel, was thus brought to life in nearly 15–20 days by ImageNation Street Art. The group of artists, associated with this community, used acrylic-based emulsion paints and set the work against a teal blue background for the mural to feature a striking black-and-white portrait of Mehta. It’s designed to stand out while also capturing the larger spirit of his orchestral performance.

Reuven Azar, Ambassador of Israel to India, says, “Art is one of the most beautiful ways to build on the friendship and cultural bond between countries. Art opens minds and hearts, and creates people to people connections, which are the most important kind of connections you can ever have in relationship between countries because these are the relationships that continue, prevail, and go generation to generation. Zubin has been a part of our music culture and the Philharmonic Orchestra for seven decades. This wall mural celebrates his excellence and we want Delhiites to come over and admire it.”

Deepak Saini, lead artist at Imagenation Street Art, shares, “Initially, when we started discussing we were thinking more on the lines of symbols and motifs and what India stands for and what the friendship between India and Israel stands for. But, we wanted that if a passerby looks at the artwork it should be relatable and impactful. So we decided on a portrait of Zubin Mehta. He is a conductor and does not work in isolation but with an ensemble of musicians. So we wanted to capture the entire element of the orchestra and not just his portrait; they work as a team and it should show! We picked teal blue for the background because blue is the colour of his life, and this specific shade enhances the foreground without killing it. But for his portrait, to ensure that it lasts, we used acrylic-based emulsions and extensive wall preparation like waterproofing since everything wears off beyond a point. Street art should have its own life so we can eventually come back and do something new.”