How Hyderabad’s signboard painters survive the digital age
Traditional signboard painters in Hyderabad are struggling to maintain their craft as digital printing and LED displays dominate the market. Many artists have been forced to adapt by learning digital design to survive in an increasingly automated commercial landscape.
Why it matters
This highlights the cultural and economic displacement of traditional artisans by rapid technological advancement in urban environments.
“Once, I was painting apples, bananas and watermelon on a signboard for a customer. A goat that was passing by jumped onto it, thinking the fruits were real,” signage painter Mohammad Nazeer recalls, his eyes filled with pride. From the late 1980s and through the 90s, his brushstrokes contributed to the identity of several shops in Nampally, Hyderabad, and number plates carried his handiwork. Today, most of those boards have been replaced by digital flexes, LED displays and radium plates.
Nazeer and his brother, who earlier founded SK Arts, now work together at Nazeer Arts in Nampally. He recounts the steady rise of orders and recognition in the early years when customers began recognising his signature — “Nazeer Arts” — neatly painted in the corners of every board. With a team of nearly eight artists, they painted signboards, school walls, number plates, and decorative artworks across the city.
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