A village turns into an art hub

Mandrem in Goa has become a cradle for contemporary artists

During the last lockdown, artist Pradeep Naik painted a series of abstracts, employing shades of green and blue.When I arrived in Mandrem, a small village in Pernem taluka in North Goa, I was overwhelmed by the green fields and blue sky. For me, this visual offered an immediate entry into Naik’s painting. Later, he told me that the lockdown made him realise the luxury of sight, one of the privileges of village life. Mandrem, a quietly scenic village, was always well known for its skilled masons. Naik’s father was also once a mason. The village is also well known for its Ganesha idol makers. Artists Kalidas Mhamal and Bhisaji Gadekar remember how they used to watch these idols being made — their first and only exposure to art while growing up. Mandrem was also home to some fine portrait artists, who painted theatre sets and big hoardings. But perhaps this little village’s biggest claim to fame is the cohort of Goa’s most noted contemporary artists it has produced, including Naik, Shilpa Mayenkar Naik, Kalidas Mhamal, Kedar Dhondu, and Bhisaji Gadekar. Dhondu’s Lonely Residents project, which garnered a lot of attention during the last lockdown, is currently being shown at a group exhibition at Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, alongside several major Indian and international artists. Gadekar was recognised with the FICA Emerging Artist Award in 2020. Mhamal’s Caste Thread, an installation displayed at the Museum of Goa, is in renewed circulation owing to ongoing conversations about caste in the art ecosystem. These artists, who have found acclaim and recognition, trace the genesis of their art to Mandrem, where they continue to live and work.