MARCOS GONSALVES
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MARGAO: With Christmas festivities in full swing across Goa, Per-Seraulim resident Xavier Fernandes’ artistic prowess is now in the spotlight, thanks to the quaint wooden cribs he crafts out of discarded wood and roots during the Christmas season.
For the 53-year-old artist, a specialised education in fine arts was a distant dream. However, it did not stop him from returning to his passion after working in Saudi, Dubai and Oman for almost 30 years. Today, Fernandes is among the few artists who are listed in the traditional handicraft business.
At a younger age, a financial crisis in the family forced Fernandes to quell his talent for handicrafts and with no options left, he flew to the gulf to earn a livelihood.
“After decades, I left the gulf and returned to my home-town due to some health issues. I did not find work here, and had to face some tough times, but friends like Saturnino Rodrigues, besides my wife Anita, encouraged me a lot, to showcase my talent,” said Fernandes.
Xavier had no formal training, but his love for the arts made it possible to turn his passion into a business, and he decided not to hide the talent he says he inherited from his father Caitano Fernandes.
Before his talent was even noticed in Goa, Fernandes had already made his name in Mumbai, where his perfect miniature wooden stables got a decent customer base, thanks to his brother-in-law Marino Mascarenhas who helped him market his cribs with the help of the Orlem Church in Mumbai.
“My wife Anita who is originally from Mumbai and her brother Marino made it possible to create a market over there,” said Fernandes. “For the last four to five years, I have been transporting all my handmade wooden cribs to Mumbai, which fetch an attractive price in the city. There, 50 to 60 cribs would be sold out in no time,” he said.
“This time I thought of selling them in Goa and a few friends of mine found me customers by creating awareness through social media. Every crib is made out of wood and roots, which people normally throw away. I used to also collect waste pieces of wood from carpenters’ workshops. Basically, it is making wealth out of waste,” said Fernandes.
He also makes other show pieces out of wood, and dreams of organising a big exhibition of his wooden art.
He appealed to the youth of Goa to focus on their talent and hobbies, instead of running after government jobs. “One can easily transform talent into a source of income, but it requires love and dedication,” he said.
“Xavier doesn’t need a shop to sell his pieces of handicraft, social media has helped reach scores of potential customers. We are planning an exhibition of his works soon,” said Fernandes’ close friend Saturnino Rodrigues.
