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

Smitha Bhandare Kamat comes across as an unassuming person, and indeed, she does prefer the solace of home and hearth and bonding with family and pets to the constant spotlight. Her cartoons, many of which have featured in prominent magazines and won her awards, seep into your sensibility, packing a punch with humour. Her style is her own, evolving from years of doodling in numerous school notebooks. The messages Smitha communicates through her cartoons emerge from a psyche moulded by a strong and steadfast upbringing by her parents. Her father, Govindas Bhandare, was a self-made man who did not shy away from hard work and encouraged in Smitha an interest in political issues. An amateur cartoonist himself, his drawings were limited to his family for an audience. Fortunately, it is a talent he passed on to his daughter together with his values. ‘I was particularly close to my father, late Shri Govindas Bhandare. He was a very determined man with a rag to riches story to his credit. He w

  The Giver is an art exhibition that will be held from the 16th to the 18th of March at Kala Academy, showcasing choice works by artists Clarice Vaz and Stacy Fernandes. The exhibition is a statement on the environmental exploitation that is rampant in these times, especially in Goa – we should be giving back to nature since she is the mother whose unconditional love nourishes us in a myriad ways. The paintings and charcoal sketches on display reflect the self-taught artists’ love for nature. The exhibition will be graced with the presence of cartoonist Alexyz as the guest of honour and Governor Mridula Sinha as the chief guest. Part of the proceeds will benefit the National Association for the Blind-Goa (NAB). Stacy Rodrigues has proved her mettle as an artist who has overcome her battle with Stargardt disease, or juvenile macular degeneration, which causes progressive vision loss, to achieve the status of Goa’s only visually impaired artist, and presently, after the demise of Binod

The title of Praveen Naik’s exhibition Notes from the Zeitgeist has embedded in it the idea that an artist is the product of his culture and that the art he produces is the reflection of that culture. Zeitgeist, a German word, comes from a combination of two words: zeit (time) and geist (spirit). Zeitgeist is then taken to mean the ‘spirit of the age’, which echoes the singular attributes of a particular period. India is at the threshold of monumental change which is evident in the social upheaval, unfettered voices and daring revolution being experienced in the country. It is this developing process that has been captured by the series of paintings in Notes from the Zeitgeist . Artist Praveen Naik is a graduate of the Goa College of Art having secured his degree in Visual Art. This resident of Kumbharjua, Goa, has participated in solo and group exhibitions in India and Germany. His most recent exhibitions have been Kama, Interrupted at Gallery Gitanjali, Goa, and Pushing Boundaries in

It is a well-established fact that art transforms and contributes to society. Some artists take this responsibility more seriously than others. World renowned contemporary artist Hesham Malik is an excellent example of an artist who strives to make his art centred around human development. Hesham traces his roots to Cuncolim, Goa, where his maternal grandparents come from, and is presently celebrated as having sold the most expensive painting as an Indian artist. He presents to us his latest art exhibition Mukhâ-The Intimacy  which will be showing at Carpe Diem, Majorda, Goa, from the 7th of January to the 3rd of February. The inauguration of the exhibition will be marked by the auction of one of the paintings, with the entire proceeds going towards funding the Goa based not-for-profit organisation Sethu. Planet-Goa is the online media partner for this exhibition. Mukhâ comprises 20 artworks and has already been exhibited at Beijing and Prague before making its way to Goa. Mukhâ is

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

The man engages his audience with candour and the humour that effortlessly emerges from it. Alexyz, the cartoonist and the fearless activist for any legitimate cause, will wake you up with his wit and a dash of laughter therapy should ennui impede your concentration. The Friday Balcao, an initiative that evolved in 1999 out of the need for information and discussions related to issues in Goa,  hosted Alexyz   on the first day of the Konkan Fruit Fest 2016. He spoke on the topic ‘Goa, Today and Tomorrow’ using the description of cartoons from his latest book O to be in Goa…Today as an insightful yet playful educative tool. Alexyz began with the monumental problem of alcoholism in Goa that shows no signs of abating. The cartoon declares that Goa is a government approved bar and restaurant. The chance for cheap liquor has tourists from other states heading in droves for Goa where the highest number of deaths are alcohol related. Goa Medical College records 300 deaths connected to alcohol

Apurva Kulkarni is a name that immediately evokes a response of acknowledgement in artistic and literary circles. A teacher for over 25 years, Apurva has curated art shows such as I am Red , Bioscope , and, more recently Kama, Interrupted . The art historian with a post graduate degree from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda has furthermore been involved in conducting courses in art history and art and film appreciation in various art galleries in Goa. As a pioneer of performance and conceptual art in Goa, Apurva has an oeuvre that certainly offers a wealth of knowledge and comprehension of art. He spoke of his manifesto called The Manifesto of a Dirty Bomb at Kokum Design Centre, Porvorim, giving his audience insight into the mind of a man who is very much a social activist in his own right and is not afraid to echo it in his work. The 1900s saw the emergence of the Modernist art era, and manifestoes were a much needed aid in comprehending the mystery enshrouding the artwor

From anthropologist to writer, from NGO (Tara Trust) founder to artist, Katharina Kakar has donned many mantles and excelled in them all. However, it is art that fires up her passion in every other area. ‘I am just driven by it. Art has always been my oxygen,’ she says. Her mother was an artist and, as the daughter of an artist, Katharina’s own foray into the world of art was anticipated. The influence of art was all pervasive in her life, with her mother taking the family to exhibitions which developed Katharina’s sense of ‘seeing’. She and her siblings were also encouraged by their mother to experiment with different things and exercise their creativity. Despite the expectations, Katharina chose to study Anthropology and Comparative Religion in Germany. It has been a few years since she came back to art as a full-time occupation, and in doing so she has come full circle. The journey of research, teaching, writing and social work she has made to this point now serves to enrich her ar

Alex Rodrigues, who is having his exhibition of paintings titled Christus at Carpe Diem, Majorda, sets himself on a different plane from that of his contemporaries. He gives expression to his artistic prowess through techniques called finger painting, and engraving and embossing (nail art). The extraordinary aspect of his art is that Alex has no formal training. It has been purely talent, initiative, and critique and encouragement from family that have brought him this far. Alex Rodrigues has always been artistically creative and hardly recalls a time when he has not been doing anything of the kind. It was sketching, drawing and painting for the joy of art rather than with a professional outlook. However, a turning point came when a dance student chanced upon his works under the couch and asked if she could sell them for him, since she appreciated his talent. He agreed to it and from then on art became his career. Alex was brought up in Mumbai and came to Goa on holiday to stay at the