Community wall art mural on success by Aravani Art unveiled

Bengaluru: Dream a Dream, a non-profit organization working towards transforming education for children in India, in collaboration with the Aravani Art Project, a trans-women and cis-women led art collective, have unveiled a public art mural in KR Puram, Bengaluru.

Located on Basavanapura Main Road, the wall mural is a part of the organization’s ‘Redefining Success’ campaign that explores what ‘success’ means to young people from marginalized backgrounds. Their stories are the theme of the wall mural. The campaign deeply examines how existing systems categorise individuals into conventional narratives of ‘success’ and ‘failure’.

The mural was facilitated through art workshops with 27 young people from Dream a Dream’s Thriving Centre in KR Puram. These workshops focused on detailed conversations with young people, using art to deeply explore aspects such as self expression, identity, dreams and success.

Manoj M, a B.Com student who comes from a single-parent family, shared how the experience of creating the mural expanded his confidence, skills and sense of community. He says, “Success won’t come from achieving goals because they keep changing. True success for me is a peaceful mind and happy soul, and seeing today as success for overcoming yesterday’s challenges.”

Prathyusha S K, a BTech student whose family is into agriculture, shared that “Success is making food available to every human being on Earth and experiencing that feeling of happiness.” Her interaction with the trans women artists from the Aravani Art project gave her valuable insights into the lived experiences of transgender people, developing a deep sense of empathy.

Shanthi, a transwoman artist from Aravani Art project, said that, “The pride that I see in these young people as they painted their own visualisation of success has been magical. This mural finale is absolutely one of our favourite ones.”

The campaign was conceptualized based on conversations with over 325 people, aged 14 to 65, between 2023 and 2025. Dream a Dream found that success is not a universal concept, but a deeply personal and contextual experience. Yet, the education system continues to impose a rigid, linear definition of success, narrowly focused on academic achievement and material wealth. This limited perspective systematically marginalises many young people, particularly those navigating adversity. Commenting on the campaign, Suchetha Bhat, CEO, Dream a Dream “Our intention with this campaign was to create a space where young people are able to reflect on what success means to them in their context. We wanted to inspire a more nuanced, compassionate understanding that recognises the diverse paths and struggles that constitute success for them, empowering them to embrace their unique strengths and move beyond standardised measures of success to enable a thriving life for all. The five-wall mural in KR Puram is a vibrant expression of these collective insights, and we hope to expand this reimagination, enabling other communities and organisations to adopt the ‘Redefining Success’ approach through creative, reflective processes.”

Poornima Sukumar, Founder and Director, Aravani Art Project, “The mural is a vibrant “dream landscape”- a reflection of the personal journeys of these young people as they redefine success and give shape to their aspirations.The design process has been entirely collaborative, with the young people shaping the themes, colors, and imagery, while our team facilitated the artistic execution.”

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The Hans India