In one of the most visited destinations in the world, some of its richest stories continue to be told quietly, by artists who document the life, landscape and concerns of Goa through sculptures, paintings and performances.
That artistic vocabulary has now traveled to Pune through Susegad, an exhibition that opened on January 16 and will run until February 1 at Monalisa Kalagram in Koregaon Park.
“Goa has 15 to 20 very good artists who are comparable to any artist in the country or the world. They are very contemporary artists and make cutting-edge statements. But there are not many galleries, so their art does not get exposure,” says artist Subodh Kerkar, who left the medical profession to pursue art in 1990.
Kerkar considers himself fortunate to have left a global mark with his conceptual, land art and performance works. The Museum of Goa (MOG), of which he is the founder director, is among the largest privately owned contemporary art spaces in the country and has become a key platform for Goan artists.
Curated by Kerkar along with Lisa Pingale of Monalisa Kalagram, the exhibition features works by several prominent Goan artists. Viraj Naik presents hybrid forms that blur the boundaries between the human and the animal. Pradeep Naik’s landscapes, though rooted in place, border on abstraction. Also on display is a sculpture of Santosh Morajkar, who passed away a week ago at the age of 50. His wife, Chaitali Morajkar, originally from Pune, exhibits pot work inspired by traditional kudnem cooking vessels. Harshada Kerkar, a charcoal artist, presents powerful works, while figurative artist Shripad Gurav brings scenes from a quintessentially Goan world. Vitesh Naik offers a layered figurative perspective of the state.
As part of the exhibition, Subodh Kerkar will deliver a talk titled Glimpses of Goan History at the venue on January 18 at 6 pm.
“Goan scenes such as fishermen, ocean, toddy collectors and palm trees find their place in the works of Goan artists. There are expressions of a changing Goa, including the almost cancerous growth of the construction industry. This exhibition is like bringing a little Goa to Pune,” says Kerkar.
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Kerkar has also contributed his own works to the show, including a painting and two sculptures made from old wooden boats. He collects boats that fishermen no longer use and reincarnates them into sculptural forms.
Pingale says the response on the opening day reflected Pune’s curiosity about Goan artists who have developed a distinctive identity. “They are trying to say something rather than being pretty pictures. I feel Subodh is largely responsible for this. His works are very rooted in the history and culture of Goa,” he says.
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