‘We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work
of Your hand’. – Isaiah 64:8. It is with the same enthusiasm and calm mind that
Simonie Rego from Arossim sits at her potter’s wheel and works intricately on
her designs. A graduate from Goa College of Art, Altinho, in the painting
department specializing in murals, Simonie will be exhibiting her works at
‘Centre Punch’ at Quadro Art Gallery, Porvorim from July 28 to 30 from 10.30am
onwards.
“I’m very happy and excited about the exhibition. It’s all
happening in such a short period of time that I almost cannot believe it. It’s
all so new to me,” says Simonie, as she selects the pieces that will make up
her collection for the exhibition. From tiny mushrooms peeking out of the vase
to the play of lights from the pots with skillfully carved openings, Simonie
has paid attention to every minute detail while working on the malleable
material. Even the traditional rooster shaped ‘gurguret’ is adorned with
tiny flowers.
Speaking about her
passion for pottery, Simonie says, “was always interested in pottery. I used to
visit Bicholim Industrial Estate with my friends to see the potters at work and
get fascinated about how they shape the clay in no time, with their hands. As a
student of fine art, I was always working and learning new things. I used to
take commissions of canvas paintings and murals. I was also conducting art
classes for students.”
During the Covid
lockdown, Simonie was feeling letdown that she could not work on art at different
venues. She came across late Valentino Gaspar, a ceramic and terracotta artist,
who ran Red Earth Pottery Studio, Verna. He guided her in the right direction.
“I met Valentino, a few years ago, at a stained glass workshop that he was
conducting at carpe diem. After the lockdown, when the restrictions were being
lifted, I did not have a lot of work at hand so I decided to use this time to
learn a new skill. I tried searching for potters around South Goa, who were
willing to teach me the skill. I remembered Valentino and messaged him, to know
if he knew anyone who could teach me pottery. I didn’t know that that he was a
pottery artist himself. He replied back saying that he could teach me. As it
was not so far from my house, I did not think twice. I began my apprenticeship
and eventually we ended up being good friends as well. He was a great teacher.
He taught me everything from using the wheel to building a kiln,” reminisces
Simonie. As a tribute to her mentor, she now signs every piece of art with a ‘V’
under her pots.
Simonie likes to work
with details like intricate cut work and textures which are very labour
intensive and time consuming. She gives attention to every piece that she makes
and it is visible in the quality of work. “I don’t consider art and pottery as
two separate entities. My work tends to be more intricate. It‘s a never ending
learning process where I experiment and discover new things every day. It keeps
me on my toes. Most of all, it makes me happy,” she adds.
She further says, “The
fact that so much can be done from just a lump of ‘Tambdi Maati’ fascinates
me. The moment I enter my studio it’s me and the mud I have in my hand. I get
inspired by nature and all its forms. I also look up a lot of Indian Jali work
for this exhibition.”
After
two months of planning, this will be her first solo exhibition and she is happy
for the encouragement she has received from mentors like artist Clarice Vaz and
Giovanni Fernandes, “I’m thankful to my family. They have always been
supportive. Clarice Vaz has been mentoring me all along and Giovanni Fernandes
of Lorenz imaging, Quadro Art Gallery has given me the opportunity to showcase
my work. They have gone out of their way to help me,” concludes Simonie.
