When German artist Jens Ullrich visited Mumbai in January this year, he was enamoured by the numerous business shops that lined the Fort area in the city. For Ullrich, seeing craftsmen toiling away on machines and engines in stalls was a sea change from the serene alleys of Germany where most of the businesses operate from upmarket buildings. At many of these shops, he came across painted signs depicting the objects for sale. Ullrich was particularly fascinated by the work of a painter, who only initialled some of his signs with ‘Sardarart’. Intrigued, he started asking shopkeepers about the painter of these signboards and finally met Davindar Singh Sokhi - the creator of ‘Sardarart’ at his Malad residence.u00a0

Davindar Singh Sokhi, a self-taught signboard painter and Jens Ullrich, a German artist, have collaborated for the first time for United Machines And A Collar System.