23 Jan 2020  |   05:21am IST

THIS SENTINEL OF SALIGAO, IS REALLY ON SONG

Clarice Vaz has seen Goa evolve before her eyes, especially her village Saligao. To preserve her memories of the village and to treasure part of the culture before it gets diluted, she has written a book, ‘A Song for Saligao’, which is being released at her exhibition, ‘Beyond the Horizon’, starting today
THIS SENTINEL OF SALIGAO, IS REALLY ON SONG

Dolcy D’Cruz

Every aspect of the life in Saligao, which can be

found on any material about the village, will have the fingerprints of Clarice Vaz, a proud Saligaocar and motivating force behind uniting the people of the village, especially the women. Vaz has helped revive the village communities to create their very own weekly market on Tuesdays at the Saligao Institute. Her next big project is her exhibition of recent art, ‘Beyond the Horizon’, which will be inaugurated today, January 23, 2020, at the Xavier Centre for Historical Research, Alto Porvorim. The exhibition is presented by Xavier Centre for Historical Research and Goa Heritage Action Group.

An important highlight of the exhibition will be the release of her book, ‘A Song for Saligao’. Vaz poetically says, “Goa is like some fresh feni in a bottle; feni is like no other drink in the world and a Goan is like no other in the world. They are unique – a mix of Eastern and Western cultures.” And so she has tried to preserve these memories like a bottle of feni but through her words and photographs. She has photographed utensils, artifacts, furniture, architectural features, etc of yesteryears so that the reader can make comparisons of the transition with their own modern day living. She has also selected a few farming families and families whose lives are steeped in devotion.

Speaking about the book, she says, “My book is about the disappearing heritage and culture of a small village in North Goa – Saligao, which is actually a microcosm of Goa. It documents how Goa has changed, especially in the last decade. The onslaught of development, modernity and badly planned tourism is taking a toll on the environment and pushing people to discard the old ways that were holistic, sustainable and in tune with nature. As people embrace new ways of being – even in small villages – implements, houses, professions and customs that were around for centuries fall by the wayside, trampled by so-called ‘development’. My book seeks to record a slice of Goan life before it is lost forever in the sands of time. My wish is to give the future generations of Goans something they can refer to when they reminisce about the Goa of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.”

Her only hope is that the Goa of the yesteryears should not be forgotten. “Most importantly, 20-30 years down the line, as these pictures get older, this book will accumulate more associations, stories, memories, identities and more layers of history and narratives of the land and human values associated with our cultural heritage,” she concludes.

Vaz’s work will also come alive through her paintings. Referring to the scriptures and the teachings of Christ, Vaz says, “My faith through the narratives I build into my paintings. The imagery symbolises a fine distillation of concepts, as in ‘Genesis’, the multi-layered dark universe opening up to reveal the organic burst of life; or in ‘Inner Flame- Breath of God’s Spirit’ that encapsulates the all-pervading omnipotent force of the Spirit through form and colour. I frequently employ a language of abstraction, encapsulating vast stories through swift portrayals in colour.”

Her work embraces universal values that are communicated with sensitivity, and reveal her fascination and intrigue of life.

Curator Lina Vincent says, “In her new series of paintings, Clarice continues her investigation of life’s deepest philosophies and the mysteries of existence. She imbues her work with a sense of innate strength and visual harmony. She invites viewers to probe deeper and extract their own answers.”

This exhibition will be held till January 26, 2020. Proceeds of the sales of Vaz’s paintings will go to the Xavier Centre for Historical Research and the Goa Heritage Action Group.

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar