MYOLA JOANES
myola@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Simonie Rego, a 25-year-old first-generation potter from the quaint village of Arossim, is creating quite the stir in the art world with her unique style of cut work pottery. Her journey began as a child, when she was always interested in fine arts. Her parents, wanting a backup plan in case her dreams fell apart, enrolled her in a general college. But to everyone’s surprise, she aced the aptitude test and was accepted into Goa College of Art.
At college, Simonie found her passion in pottery and began working with air dry clay. But since there were no potters around South Goa, she visited the Bicholim Industrial Estate to observe the potters there. Despite her interest in pottery, she had to take a break due to college commitments. But as soon as the Covid-19 restrictions eased, Simonie, a busy bee with multiple interests, began her search for
potters around.
She spoke to teachers who encouraged her to learn the art of pottery, and reached out to mentors in the field. It was then that she stumbled upon Late Valentino Gasper, a terracotta and ceramic artist who owned a pottery studio in Verna. Their first meeting was at a stained glass workshop, and unaware that he was a pottery teacher, Simonie asked him if he knew anyone who could teach her. Much to her surprise, Gasper himself was willing to take her on as a student.
But Simonie’s journey with Gasper was far from conventional. Gasper was ill, and Simonie had to work around his condition. Despite the setbacks, she persevered and learned everything from scratch, including how to work with Verna clay that was dumped in a pile for 15-20 years. The raw clay contained impurities and sharp rocks that could cut through the fingers, but Simonie was determined to learn the art of pottery. As Simonie puts it, “It wasn’t a normal class, like I thought. I went in thinking I’d get to sit on the wheel the first day, but that wasn’t the case. I had to learn everything from him from scratch.” Simonie would set up her worktable next to Gasper’s bed on days he couldn’t move, and he would examine her work closely.
Sadly, Gasper passed away last year, but Simonie was determined to carry on his legacy. She made contacts in the art world and began exhibiting her work. Her strict father, feeling sorry for his little girl, even constructed a studio outside her house, forcing her mother to give up her vegetable patch. And thus, the Centre Punch Studio was born, named after her mentor’s studio.
Simonie’s unique style of cut work pottery has earned her quite the following. She prefers to work with terracotta red clay for its easy mould-ability, but her designs are anything but ordinary. Working with already moulded pieces, Simonie cuts intricate designs that give her pottery an expressive vibe. In order to get beautiful textures, she goes foraging for earthy, natural moulds and even grows her own plants. However, her intricate techniques are often fraught with hardships. “When you have to cut your design on an already-moulded piece, everything can collapse, and you will have to start from scratch again. This is often gut-wrenching, especially if it is part of a big, time-bound order,” she says, with a sad smile. She has had pieces that broke after putting in five hours of work, and if it develops cracks or isn’t finished properly, pieces even burst inside the kiln.
She does both wheel and hand-built pottery, but prefers hand-built because it has more soul to it. Simonie’s success has inspired her to teach the art of pottery to others. Many schools and colleges have held workshops at her studio, including Vidya Vikas Academy and Carmel College, creating awareness among the young generation. Her mission is to spread the word about pottery and showcase its versatility beyond just pots and vessels.
