Prutha Goa

Kaavi art is slowly going to become a note in history if it is not revived and promoted. This is the message Heta Pandit, heritage activist and author of books such as Houses of Goa (co-authored with architect Annabel Mascarenhas) and Dust and Other Short Stories from Goa , geared up to send across to the audience gathered at Gallery Gitanjali, Panaji. Ms Pandit says, ‘I first saw kaavi at the Deshprabhu house in 1998. I was on a Homi Bhabha Fellowship and I went to the Deshprabhu house…It fascinated me then and it fascinates me now.’ A unique art form that originated in Goa, kaavi was Goa’s gift to Maharashtra and Karnataka. This art form possesses the wisdom of ages in that it has survived the rigours of weather, time and other deleterious factors. Showing the audience a visual description of an ordinary Goan house (the Boraskar house in Poinguinim), Ms Pandit explained that while some houses will have external embellishments of decoration on windows, the dogs, lions, soldiers seen

Himalayan Insights was India’s foremost photographer Raghu Rai’s contribution to Goa Photo 2015, an annual international photography festival. A collection of photographs selected from work done over the years; captured shots of the Dalai Lama and places such as Ladakh and Gangotri, made a startling impact on the viewer in their black and white avatar. Impressive in their depth, the photographs were lent an aura of poignancy by the lack of rainbow hues. ‘Images should have their own strength about them. They should be able to stand on their own. Some of them were in colour, but colour is pretty and predictable. Too many photographs appear as picture postcards with colour,’ says Mr Rai, explaining why the entire collection was in black and white. Photo taken from Gallery Gitanjali Facebook page . Raghu Rai qualified as a civil engineer but took up photography in 1965, going on to take up his first job as a photojournalist at The Statesman the very next year. He left his employment as c

Anushya Sharma is one of those artists who become completely inseparable from their work. It seems as though her spirit infuses every painting with a signature of her self. She hails from Guwahati, Assam, and was an assistant director in films in Mumbai before the call of art proved too strong to ignore. Her first collection, called Miss A Takes a Holiday , was a success and prodded her to continue in this line. Fool Fantasy , her most recent exhibition of paintings, shown at the Art Chamber, Calangute, takes us on a journey of life, discovery of self and the trials in the process. A certain amount of angst is married with a sense of this peeling away of layers of questions. This says much for the value of the journey being greater than the final result. The series of painting begins with the subconscious motivation to make a change. ‘The fool is basically this very youthful, optimistic spirit about discovering the world, exploring new places, new experiences; not necessarily aware of

From 13th to 17th February, Gallery Gitanjali will bring to us Kama, Interrupted , an exhibition of drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations and assemblages that propose to reinterpret the Sutra of desire. The seventy five artworks, which form the core of the exhibition, will be inaugurated by eminent psychoanalyst and writer, Dr Sudhir Kakar. The exhibition has voluntarily been rated 18+ by the organisers. Apurva Kulkarni treads on contentious grounds as he prepares to present his latest curated art exhibition. The political atmosphere, as it is today, subscribes to Victorian Age prudery. We, Indians, enjoy the pretence that there is no such thing as sex and refuse to address concerns of sexuality and sexual desire. By feigning asceticism, we hope to portray ourselves as virtuous beings, on a higher rung than our Western contemporaries. A section of the Indian population, enlightened by education and experience, has opened up to the reality of Kama or desire. These would best co

Savia Viegas, the accidental artist, for whom painting has been an escape, a respite from the pressures and routine of life, brings us a collection of vibrant paintings under the title of Mementos. As an academic she has had an enviable career, having graduated from Elphinstone College, received a PhD in Satavahana Sculptural Art from the University of Mumbai and awarded the Senior Fulbright Fellowship (2003-2004), which earned her a residency at George Washington University and the Smithsonion. She is also the author of Tales from the Attic , Let me tell you about Quinta , Abha Nama, and Eddi and Diddi . The latter two are graphic fiction works and a testament to the balanced integration of her pictorial depiction and her textual narrative. The lack of training in fine arts has been advantageous rather than a hindrance as it allows her free flowing expression and innovations in her paintings. Savia says, ‘I paint images I cannot express textually.’ She alternates between writing and

6 Assagao appeared on the scene in Goa three and a half years ago as a confluence of art, intellect and social activism. Nilankur Das, who is part of the team that makes the events at 6 Assagao a reality, reflects on a social awakening birthed by the turbulent atmosphere of Assam in the '80s. Marked by political unrest, student agitation, secessionist movements, the Indian Army’s combing operations and the President’s rule, this time period shaped his motivation to work in the development sector, and later in outreach and communication programmes. People Tree, which was founded by Orijit Sen and Gurpreet Sidhu and functions as a space for products of unique design, began as an alternative bookshop in Delhi housing textile products and accessories. Far more than an ordinary store, People Tree boasts of having been the nurturing ground for social movements and the mentor of 6 Assagao. Nilankur says of People Tree, where he once used to have his activism T-shirts on display, ‘People T

  Xavier Centre of Historical Research launched an innovative venture in the world of cyberspace journalism on September 20, 2014. This endeavour, which is the brainchild of international consultant and MD of the NGO, Volunteering Goa Ltd., Mr. Richard Lees, is meant to function as an online resource that will tangibly create an environment of selflessness and generosity through inspiring stories and articles. The website, named Prutha (Goa), meaning 'daughter of the earth', will carry articles on a range of topics from the arts, the environment, culture, scientific breakthroughs to conventional social work.  The formal launch of Prutha Goa took place at Xavier Centre of Historical Research, beginning with an introduction by Fr. Savio Abreu SJ, the director of Xavier Centre of Historical Research. Fr. Savio Abreu spoke of the value of acting on new ideas that would lead to the betterment of society. He said, ‘Xavier Centre of Historical Research may be associated with history b

Initial diffidence is overpowered by the desire for expression. As found in most shy persons, thought processes function at an accelerated pace and the urgency to communicate the same soon brings in confidence. Had he not become a filmmaker, Joywin Fernandes would have surely taken up journalism as a profession. Such is his need to put forth his ideas. His love of films grew with him since he saw his first film as a young boy. The movies were rented by his father as a reward for doing well in school. He remembers fondly, ‘I remember my dad used to take me to a video cassette library every Sunday to hire a movie only if I would get ‘very good’ remark on my maths book.’ The passion for watching films soon transformed into a passion for making films which was an ideal outlet for his creativity. His intention is not just the making of films, but the making of good films. This is something that requires time and he says it takes at least a year to create good cinema. Joywin Fernandes Joywin

Situated in the scenic locale of Majorda, replete with old worldly charm that takes you back to the Portuguese era, is Carpe Diem-The Art and Learning Centre . It is far removed from other modern art galleries in the cities. The centre was the result of a thought process that sought to explore and gauge those talents and sense of adventure that often remain concealed in individuals, sometimes even for a lifetime. Daegal Godinho, who runs the centre, believes he is lucky to have been able to break out of the mould and take full advantage of his talents. He decided to institute a centre where people could engage in self-discovery and reach out to other talented persons too. He says, ‘Hence, Carpe Diem! Carpe diem, which popularly translates into “seize the day”, is exactly that. It is the place for those who need to discover, explore or exhibit their passion!’ Daegal Godinho comes from an educational background far removed from the arts. He holds a graduate  degree in microbiology and an

Stacy Rodrigues has come a long way in her life and has truly been through a trial by fire. She suffers from a congenital disease called heredomacular degeneration that leads to gradual bilateral decrease in vision starting in early childhood or the teenage years. Stacy realised that something was different about herself much before her parents did. But her attempts to convey this awareness to the people around her were met with scepticism. Teachers would berate her for not putting in an optimal performance. She was considered lazy and received physical punishment on occasion. Reading became arduous as it would take up to ten minutes to recognise each letter and often there would be confusion with letters that were similar like ‘a’ and ‘o’. Stacy’s other senses were strengthened while she focused on her auditory sense to deal with her educational hurdles. This became her best shot at learning and she managed to just barely pass her examinations in school. Her parents became convinced o