Art has always been a powerful tool for social and political change. For a small state of Goa, artists have used their work to express their views on society and the world around them. If a picture is worth a thousand words, these artworks bring on a wide range of emotions for people who want to save Goa.
Taking on global issues
While sitting at a local café next to the ferry point in Chorao, Vivek Pereira overheard Eusebio D’Silva speaking dynamically and with urgency about curbing megaprojects from ruining the biodiversity and way of life in Chorao. Having conducted workshops for children and adults with needs, created toys and camouflage gear that were sent directly to victims in war torn Ukraine and painting murals to raise awareness about the environment, these are some ways in which Vivek has used art as a practical tool.
Vivek created an artwork exclusively for saving Chorao. “It was only natural to bring the same energy and my conceptual activist style to this particular piece which was made after hearing Eusebio’s thoughts along with the way I visualized the issue. We wanted it to be understood by anyone who comes across it,” says Vivek, who was the youngest and only Goan artist to have a solo show at The Nehru Centre (TNC), the cultural wing of The High Commission of India in UK.
Besides Goan issues, Vivek also created ‘Eat me!’ a sculpture based on
the beef ban, ‘Testing’, an acrylic on canvas painting on fish containing formalin in Panjim and even the Harvey Weinstein case.
Away from home yet close
to Goa’s needs
Billy Joe Fernandes, originally from Sirsaim but working in Dubai, can’t keep his mind and heart off Goa. Through his illustrations, Billy gives his take on society and trends, resonating with audiences who share the sentiments expressed via his works. Known as Billytoons Goa, he keeps a close eye on any development in Goa and immediately takes to his drawing board to create illustrations highlighting the issue affecting the
common Goan.
“Once I get the news of an issue, I take about approximately one or two hours to draw an illustration. My works have been used multiple times for protests and agitations like the Coal Protest, Melauli Protest etc. It gives a strong message in a picture format where people can understand the message in a simple format with one liners. It feels good when the art connects with people and they use them to write blogs and share on social media. As an artist, this is the acknowledgment from the people,” says Billy.
Making Goa’s voice heard
Noted cartoonist Alexyz from Siolim is known for humorous works but his artworks on other issues makes his pen as sharp as a sword. Alexyz was the first cartoonist for oHeraldo back in the 1980s. His cartoons on the Konkani Agitation and Goa’s Statehood struggle were very much anticipated by the readers. His cartoons which would be made into posters for the agitations. He continues to create cartoons and artworks for agitations on various issues and many found their way to his two
books, ‘Goa…Goan…Goaing…Gone?’ and
‘O to be in Goa.’
“Protests on the Goa's streets carrying placards is the most visual and effective form of protest. My Cartoons which l executed in OHeraldo during the Konkani Language Agitation in the 80s have been my most satisfying work. However, I've used
the protest mode in other perspectives too from posters to parachutes to hoardings to even garbage bins to even verse in my works,”
says Alexyz.