Team Café
At the Big Foot Art Gallery, Loutolim, artist and curator Maendra Alvares is breaking the silence by speaking louder than words with his art. ‘Where Silence Rings’ is a thoughtfully curated art exhibition by Maendra featuring a collection of expressive artworks inspired by nature, the culture of Goa, and memories drawn from everyday surroundings. The exhibition showcases acrylic paintings, beach and nature scenes, woven thread work, and artworks inspired by the traditional Kunbi Kapod of Goa.
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The journey of this exhibition began with a simple inspiration to create meaningful art using diverse textures, colours, and materials. Each artwork reflects a deep connection with nature, tradition, and the peaceful moments that surround us.
“It has been my profound experience that the loudest sound is that of silence in the human thought process. It does not record the decibel but is amplified in action. As an artist, first and foremost, I have always transcribed my art into an exteriorisation of my innermost self. When I was asked, the ‘why’ of the exhibition, I expressed my artistic opinion as the reason for the portrayal of what it means for ‘Silence’ to have a sound. It is exactly like the reverberation in the aftermath of a bell having rung. The tremor, the sustained push of space against the lack of sound and yet that little extra thud of the heartbeat, as an accompanying echo. So, I put it in paint, installation and creativity drawing deeply from my soul to explain a little bit about how I see myself explore the cosmos on my canvas,” says Maendra.
The exhibition features 11 unique art pieces, each carrying its own story and expression. One of the notable works, titled ‘Karma,’ reflects human footprints in the sand, while mirrors incorporated into the artwork symbolize the thought that what we give to the world eventually returns to us.
Another series brings together paintings of the five elements, woven and threaded in harmony to express mankind’s inseparable bond with nature and one’s dependence upon it. “Nature has five basic elements: fire earth, air, liquid and space, I took these and place them on my empty space in a way that I hope will speak to everyone. The five elements for me exercised their power like this. Earth that represents our mortality, our finiteness, our actions as human, frail and fallible. Here, I visualised the colours as blue, green, and the opaque hues of orange and indigo. Fire translating into anger, hatred, pain, sorrow, revenge. This is a colour that is always vibrant, harsh and hot. Air was seen by me as an exhale of the highest negatives: Ambition and Ego. I would use a deep grey and stark black or an ample space of nothing to describe what these two do to a human being. Liquid or water is the ultimate cleanser. It is what bathes us or washes away our exhaustion of competing with ourselves. And finally Space, that is where the ringing bell reverberates, an accessory to all that has gone before and will come later. It is our spirituality enrobed in the softest of colours,” he explains.
The series titled ‘In the Beginning…’ comprises seven paintings connected through a flowing vine, symbolising the creation of the earth and the interconnectedness of life.
Through this exhibition, Maendra hopes visitors will carry back a sense of calmness, creativity, and a renewed appreciation for the beauty, culture, and traditions of Goa. He says, “My whole project is one giant canvas with my vision seeping through every inch of the soil and in every crevice and nook of the land. My vision is a speech made by the statues that tell a story across the whole place, history, narration and an intense desire to leave behind, for posterity, the tradition of our ancestry, like a visual book laid open. An artist, expresses and that is the ‘purpose’. Every view will be a subjective exploration.”
Adriel Alvares, who has curated the exhibition, wishes to create The ‘Bigfoot Art Gallery’ space as not only an interactive zone but also as a place open to artists, in the future. The exhibition was inaugurated by Dharmendra Sharma, IAS (retired), former chief secretary and will remain open to the public till June 7, from 9.30 am to 6 pm at Big Foot Art Gallery, Loutolim.
