Landscape architect Shree Naik breathes life into cityscape
On a regular day, landscape architect Shree Naik is usually seen juggling work responsibilities with meetings at Hazel Earth, his Kalkaji-based boutique design collaborative. On weekends, however, the 46-year-old can be found strolling in the city so as to capture interesting landscapes in his sketchbook. Be it an obscure lane in one of the bustling markets in Chittaranjan Park or a picturesque monument such as the Humayun’s Tomb—anything that catches the artist’s attention makes it to his sketch pad. Later, these find a place on his Instagram page (@shreeztreez).
Bringing the city alive through art
Sketching has been an integral part of Naik’s life since childhood. He recalls how, as a young boy, he would often ride to Tughlaqabad Fort on his cycle only to sketch various views and angles of the historical site. Later, as an architecture student—he completed his bachelor’s in architecture from SPSMBH's College of Architecture, Kolhapur, and master’s in Landscape Architecture from School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi—this hobby developed into his vocation. “In college, there used to be defined spots for Sunday sketching sessions. The outdoor places were wonderful. It was almost like a revelation to me, and I started enjoying sketching outdoors,” shares the self-confessed flâneur.
Scroll through his Instagram—or his sketchbook, if you are lucky—to find photographs of his sketches, where you may notice how many known and unknown spots of the Capital are rediscovered through art. “Delhi is a melting pot of various stories and people of all backgrounds. It is an information highway, you get a different mix of cultures together,” says Naik. The magnificent Sikandar Lodi Tomb amid the greens of the Lodhi Garden, the alleys in Majnu Ka Tilla, or a bustling street in Chandni Chowk—Naik translates his fascination with urban life and his love for the city that he has called home into his drawings.
Highlighting the city of contrasts
Urban Sketchers, a Delhi-based artistic community, conducts outdoor meetings every weekend for people to draw or sketch panoramic cityscapes. Naik has become a regular at these meet-ups since January this year, and has made sketching outdoor spots a habit.
Meandering around the city has helped sharpen his also architectural acumen. Adding how Delhi is a city of contrasts, he explains, “As an urban designer, the takeaway is that it [the city] is a conglomeration of many urban villages that come together to make the city. We have this metro cityscape, but then you also have mushrooming village areas that are less planned but have interesting structures.” In fact, watching people and places for 15 to 30 minutes while he translates the view in front of his eyes on paper has also helped him learn about the culture of the city. “There is always too much happening in the tiniest of spaces—movement patterns, the type of people coming in, shops being set up, etc.”
While Naik has already created over a hundred sketches of Delhi, there are two places that remain his favourite—Lodhi Gardens and Hauz Khas. “You get a dozen angles in the same space. Any and every time I go there, I find a different spot to view. It is like catching the spirit of the place in every sketch,” he concludes.