After seeing the impact of modern digital design and printing replacing the local artists of his youth, he started the HandpaintedType project as an attempt to preserve typographic practices and styles unique to Indian street sign painters and provide them with an income stream.

[5] In 2011, while still at the agency,[4] Kureshi started the HandpaintedType project[8] as an attempt to preserve the typographic practices and styles of Indian street sign painters for future generations before they disappeared.

[note 1] HandpaintedType documented the typefaces of at least 18 roadside painters in India, recording brief biographical data and producing at least two short documentary videos.

[2] In 2013, Kureshi co-founded the St+art India Foundation along with Giulia Ambrogi, Thanish Thomas, Akshat Nauriyal, and investor Rajeev Bahl.

[13] The foundation went on to start seven art districts across the country; four are currently still active: Lodhi, Mahim in Mumbai, Nochi in Chennai, and Ukkadam in Coimbatore.

[13] His murals often incorporated elements of Indian culture, including typographic works that played with regional languages and local traditions.

[17] The design first appears visible at around 9:30 a.m. when sunlight begins casting shadows through horizontal, parallel sheets of metal facing down.

He used SketchUp 3D modelling software and Google Maps to help plan the piece, estimating the Sun's movement to get the shadows just right so that people passing by could read the words.

[23] In June 2024, he held a solo exhibition at Wildstyle Gallery in Sweden;[24] by that time, he had dealt with lung cancer for a year.