Prutha Goa

Art is not often an encouraged subject in most Goan or Indian schools, and sometimes exceptional talent is buried under academic and professional pursuits. The Pyde Pyper Academy in Goa is helping open up individuals from different walks of life to their own uniqueness and discover a wealth of artistic ability that is skilfully shaped to open artistic career opportunities to them. The Academy, which was established in 2010, has proficiently played the part of the legendary Pied Piper of Hamlin that it is named after by calling students to ‘find their own tune and follow it to their dreams’ as Deé Ayn Fernandes, who is a full-time teacher and assistant at the Academy, says. Some students have discovered their hitherto unknown gift for art here while others pursuing it as a hobby have taken it to a higher level of a career by itself. The Pyde Pyper Academy has optimally trained students, guided them in the option of taking up art in a professional capacity. This has resulted in individua

Artist Rubina De Souza and her partner artists in Artists for a Cause, are a happy reminder that where there is compassion, there is hope, and where there are artists, truth and reason make their appearance, acting as a conscience for the people. Artists for a Cause was started by Rubina De Souza with about 10-12 other artists in 2013. Since then the group has had four exhibitions with the aim of providing funds to give education to underprivileged children and youth in rural areas. Working in tandem with Don Bosco charities, the artists hope to provide this essential resource of education to bring value and a sense of purpose to the lives of these young ones. This year over 30 artists will be exhibiting works that will be sold to favour the Don Bosco charities with the resulting income. Rubina, whose brother, Fr Allwyn De Souza (Sulcorna), and son, Fr Royston De Souza (Kudal), are both Salesian priests, was inspired by the work done by the Salesians to change the lives of these rural

The 5th of November (6pm-8:30pm) sees the inauguration of a unique art exhibition of artists from different parts of India and with backgrounds in varied careers such as fitness, professional ballroom and Latin American dancing, photography, etc, showcasing their artistic talent at Achies Art Gallery, Grandeza, Chandor. Artists from Goa, Mumbai, Gujarat, Coimbatore and Kolkata will be coming together to share their ideas, culture and art with the people of Goa. Aptly titled Melting Pot , the exhibition highlights three exceptional artists of Goan origin: Alex Rodrigues with his finger painted Christian art, visually impaired artist Stacy Rodrigues, and professional carpenter Remidios Antao making his debut in art exhibitions. Alex Rodrigues has made a name for himself with his finger painting and nail art. His finger painted Christian art, which will be on display at Grandeza, is created by exclusively using fingers and nails to work out smaller details, while the palm is used for larg

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

The Muzgachem Fest at Carmel College of Arts, Commerce and Science for Women, Nuvem was a flurry of musical notes, art and delving into Goa’s cultural roots. On the 9th of December 2017, Marius Fernandes organised his penultimate cultural festival in collaboration with the women’s college which was established in 1964. The campus was abuzz with the chatter of young women around the college’s trademark trees before the basketball court. Clarice Vaz Artist Clarice Vaz, who specialises in spin painting, fluid painting and syringe painting, was on form demonstrating painting using combs and brushes with her usual enthusiasm. Alexyz, the cartoonist, introduced visually impaired artist Stacy Rodrigues, an ex-student of Carmel Higher Secondary School. The indomitable Stacy spoke about her struggles with her eyesight and how she had conquered them. Savio Godinho spent time entertaining the young Carmel ladies with painting attractive images on their forearms. Akshay Chari, a graduate of the Go

  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

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

By his countenance alone, one could easily mistake Karl Antao for a gruff, highly disciplined, military  personality. His twirling moustaches, which could send Hercule Poirot into a tizzy, give an impression that is far from the truth. Mild mannered and extremely sensitive, his art is the best medium for recognising both his genius as well as his true persona. Born in 1966, Karl grew up and received all his academic education in Mumbai. He resides in Ahmedabad presently, but has a close connection with Goa. He tells the romantic story of how his Hindu grandfather fell in love with his Catholic grandmother and decided to stay on in Goa, even converting to Catholicism. For that very reason Goa remains close to his heart. Karl Antao is the alumnus of J.J. Institute of Applied Arts. Pursuing an artistic course seemed the most natural thing to do as Karl was drawn to painting and drawing right from his school days. He obtained his BFA in Applied Arts in 1991. Unlike many others, Karl opted