Engine Vol. 1 - The Mavericks

ENGINE

the mavericks

An exclusive interview with Goa Trap Culture

Nandini Velho shares her thoughts on conservation

ENGINE

Made by us.

Credits

Founder | Vince Costa hello@getcreativegoa.com

Editor | Melissa Fernandes hello@getcreativegoa.com

Senior Designer and Illustrator | Divya Desai

Social Media Manager | Chris Varela

Cover Artist | Zenobia Karen Dsouza, Massimo & Karen Studios

Advertise in Engine

If you would like to get your brand the visibility it deserves, contact us We would love to hear from you!

You can write to us at hello@getcreativegoa.com

Office: Panjim, Goa

Phone number: +91 73879 13379

Website: www.getcreativegoa.com

Social Media: @getcreativegoa /getcreativegoa

Views expressed in the stories are personal opinions of the interviewees and don’t necessarily reflect those of the founder or editor.

Copyright is reserved with Get Creative Goa, reproduction in whole or part is prohibited

Editor's Note

Founder's Note

Redefining the art canvas with Marxy

with GTC

An Ode to Nature with Nandini Velho

Challenging the Automated Industry with Jason Almeida

Products you will 'Louvre'

Merxecho Burgo: Bongisio

In Love with Food with Larder + Folk

Piecing Magic Together with Shallu Sharma

Chasing Clouds

Cogs in the Engine

Editor’s Note

Imagine taking a walk on the beach, turning a corner, and suddenly finding a readymade path to achieving your passion! Such a utopian experience is hard to imagine. Finding one’s passion and achieving it is a long journey.

So, what makes someone good at what they do? It is one of the brain-tickling questions I asked myself before my interactions with all the talented people featured in this issue. And each one has a great answer. I’ve always believed that simply passion doesn’t encourage one to do what they love. It’s a combination of resilience, tenacity, individualism and talent.

Our first issue focus is ‘The Mavericks’, and we’re proud to have picked some of these insanely talented people whose curiosity and creativity have no bounds. Their independent and unusual opinions have made them who they are.

I can’t decide what I like best about these people. Is it their sheer determination, their abundance of talent, or their resilient attitude? I am always drawn to stories about people who find happiness doing what they love to do. Do you have a hobby or an interest that you love so much you could do it forever? I hope you’ll write and tell me about it. Who knows? It might just become something that gives you joy for the rest of your life — and helps you give joy to others.

Write to me:

hello@getcreativegoa.com

Melissa Fernandes

Founder's Note

The word ‘Engine’ derives from Old French engin, from the Latin ingenium–the root of the word ingenious. Now, let’s look at the meaning of ingenious, which is (of a person) clever, original, and inventive. For aeons, we have associated engines with raw mechanical output, but within the DNA of its origin are some of the main ingredients of creativity.

How could we, as a race, come from using stones to start a fire to building high-tech engines that have propelled us to the moon without a profound ability to be innovative inventors? The earliest hunter-gatherers showed signs of imagination in using fire and constructing the earliest tools for cutting. The human species' entire evolutionary process has shown us that our creative spark has allowed us to progress and grow.

Close to two years since I founded Get Creative Goa, I have been lucky to witness the vast creative talent within Goa’s cities and villages. In our inaugural issue, we picked some of them, who we call 'The Mavericks'.

I urge you to read their stories for within them, you will find the same creative spark that propelled our human race onward. Young and brave people that are willing to take the road less travelled to give their creative expression a chance, thereby making our lives much richer. I am humbled and inspired daily by these original, inventive, innovative thinkers and doers of Goa. Please feel free to connect with us, for ultimately, YOU are both the cog that turns the engine and your ideas are the fuel that keeps it going.

Onwards, Vince Costa

INTERVIEWER

MELISSA FERNANDES

PHOTOGRAPHY

ETHAN MASKIE

VIDEOGRAPHY

RICKY FONSECA

MODEL

SHIMEI NATHAN

VIDEO EDITOR

Expressive, opinionated and conscious, 22-year-old Marxy is a fashion designer who runs a sustainable brand, House of Marxy Her vision shatters stereotypes around fashion as she brushes aside clichés and makes way for functionality. 004.

With a natural talent for art and design, Marxy first wanted to pursue interior design but got redirected to fashion when an art class changed her mindset about the fashion industry.

“I wasn't genetically into fashion, but I was always into aesthetics. I love colours, and I understand patterns — what works together and what doesn't. It is the stepping stone to understanding fashion along with the history, what people have created, what has happened, and what will happen. It made me feel empowered to be in this industry and be capable of expressing through art,” she says.

With an abundance of colours, unique silhouettes, usage of different media and lots of creativity, Marxy’s impressive portfolio reflects her progressive thought process.

“I really like charcoal work. My illustrations are really good, like a little above average,” she asserts.

Describing her style as ‘avant-garde’, Marxy talks about a corset she created that is not confined to the lines of fashion but is meant to create conversation, voice opinion and unquestionably break away from stereotypes. “Avant-garde gives more meaning to a piece of clothing. It’s not just a wearable garment but makes a statement. I came up with a cage concept, which was my first unisex garment and was created for an androgynous faculty member. It’s a gender-neutral corset that looks beautiful and portrays caged thoughts and opinions. It is extremely uncomfortable, too. My idea behind it was to show the aesthetic beauty and the discomfort hand-in-hand.”

I feel like gender was a way for people to sell. If you’re a woman, you need 20 dresses per year because they need to suit the right season, but a man can wear three t-shirts throughout the year and they’re good to go. The functionality of clothes wasn’t sold; a need was created and bifurcated for both genders.

Her creative mind wanders into a pool of ideas and she always picks out an eccentric one. “I get ideas out of nowhere and at a very random time. I don’t have a fixed place or thing that inspires me, everything around me does!” she adds.

For the first issue of ENGINE, Marxy exclusively designed an outfit for model, Shimei Nathan. Based on the concept of structure and fluidity, she created an outfit out of plaster of paris.

She explains,

“

On an old tailored suit I applied eight layers of plaster of paris to create a strong structure. Each layer was painted on a day and kept to dry. It was intentionally made to look raw and unfinished. It portrays that structure doesn’t mean being in the lines, you can be strong, but that should not mess with the fluidity of your thoughts or opinions. ”

Marxy's Colour Palette

To denote the colour of who you actually are Pink, because we are all breaking free Green, because ... styling a

INTERVIEWER

MELISSA FERNANDES

PHOTOGRAPHY

ETHAN MASKIE

VIDEOGRAPHY

We make frickin' goodART

CARLTON REBELLO

VIDEO EDITOR

GASPER D'SOUZA

Click here to view the full interview

High on talent, fame and energy, the GoaTrapCulture (GTC) consist of four musicians and producers — Tsumyoki, Elttwo, 2jaym, and Kidd Mange — who are here to redefine the music scene in Goa. The creativity-infused group of like-minded individuals share their journeys in an exclusive interview with ENGINE

“We are making sure that at least for the next 100 years, Goa knows GTC. They know that we were here.”

That’s the kind of confidence that reeks from the GTC boys. Being around them gives you a surge of energy and these passionate artists are willing to put all that it takes to make music — a career path they chose without focusing on its viability in Goa. “We gave it all when we started and didn’t even know if we were going to make it,” they say.

“Goa Trap Culture was a song made by me where I sampled Lorna. We performed at many events without a name and finally, when we had to pick one, we went for Goa Trap Culture,” recalls Tsumyoki.

As a group, their intensive creative process is remarkably synchronized. “All of us are good at what we do and shoot ideas back and forth and that’s how we move cohesively as a group,” adds Tsumyoki.

“We became a boy band,” they quip.

GTC now produces music at GTC Studios, Margao, and has become a name synonymous with music in Goa. But like most artists, they had to start small. When they were recording the ‘Daboij' album, the four of them worked from a cramped office with a mattress stuck to the wall for soundproofing. “We were in a closet without air-conditioning. We spent days and nights recording our music,” reminiscences 2jaym.

“We refused to go home without finishing our work. But we enjoyed every bit and wouldn’t change a thing. Those days made us who we are,” adds Elttwo.

“Would we go back? Never. We served our time,” chuckles Tsumyoki.

Having recognised each other’s talent and capability, they don’t shy away from giving feedback, advice, or criticizing each other. “If I haven’t written something to my best potential, these guys will point it out and be flat out honest with me; I feel they are the best people to push me to do better,” says Elttwo.

“We appreciate feedback as we need to know where we can improve,” adds 2jaym.

“For me, Elttwo is great at mixing and mastering, 2jaym’s voice is unreal and Mange exposes me to rap music that I’ve never heard. So we keep each other informed and updated and that’s how we operate,” Tsumyoki describes their equation.

2Jaym EL TWO

One of GTC’s first videos highlights breaking stereotypes in Goa. They want to rehash the way people look at Goa — as only a tourist spot or that the people are susegado— and they do this undeniably with creativity.

012.

Their popularity is fairly established on every platform — YouTube, Instagram, Spotify. They have a large number of followers and listeners, even among the likes of Divine, a famous Indian rapper, and Nucleya, a renowned music producer.

Tsumyoki who is signed by Gully Gang Entertainment recalls December 2020 when his and the group’s growth trajectory rose! “December 2020 and January were the most mind-blowing times of our lives, everything changed in those two months,” he describes.

When Divine was performing in Goa in 2020, Tsumyoki and Kidd Mange couldn’t bottle their excitement. With an urge to share his tracks, Tsumyoki waited outside the music concert for 2 hours. He narrates, “Divine was in his car. I tried reaching out to him but couldn’t. Luckily, I managed to speak to JD, co-founder of Gully Gang, and handed over a pen drive with my songs in it. I didn’t expect to hear from them but as luck would have it, I met Divine at his hotel and handed him a page that had everything about me.”

Divine humbly nodded and promised to give his music a listen. “I didn't say anything. I was just shaking his hand,” snickers Kidd Mange.

For a few days, the boys got busy launching Daboij. “And one day, I got a text from Chaitanya Kataria, co-founder, Gully Gang. It was crazy! It’s still super overwhelming to me that I'm like part of this company,” says Tsumyoki.

The boys also met Nucleya at a mall in Goa and shared their Instagram handles with him, scribbled on a piece of tissue paper. “Two days later, we were ecstatic to see Nucleya following each one of us, it was our first big follow!” says 2jaym who even got a chance to record with Nucleya after winning the Bacardi Sessions contest in January 2021. “I submitted an original track and didn’t really think too much about the outcome, but when I checked out other entries, I was thrilled to see so much mad talent in India! And I won,” smirks 2jaym.

Cherishing their moments of fame, these boys have not only performed in Goa but in other cities too like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune. They are easily recognised by fans across Goa. While they humbly meet their fans who approach them, they have also been subjected to shutterbugs who steal their privacy. “I think all of us have some kind of social anxiety plus I don't think we are very extroverted people to begin with. But when it comes to interaction with fans, we are open to a conversation. When someone says that our music has changed their life or that they relate to it, we feel great. Because we know people feel the same emotions we do; we’re all human. We put the emotions into art and they take that art and make it their own,” opines 2jaym.

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With the good, comes the bad. Tsumyoki adds, “Once I was at a theatre and someone just started recording. I, too, need some space. I don’t mind when a fan comes up to me and talks to me. Tell me they listen to my music, and have a genuine conversation. I am a human being; I should be treated as one.”

Apart from dealing with social anxiety, another challenge that they face is handling social media. Kidd Mange narrates, “From being someone with no ties to social media, I now have to be active. I am my manager so there’s a lot I have to change. If you're an independent artist and you have to be constantly on social media, promoting yourself because, with the internet, the competition is just super high.”

Being one of the newest members of GTC, Elttwo finds it challenging when he hits writer’s block. “The hardest part is when I can't make anything new. I want to work and be productive but I just spent 6 hours watching two 3-hour movies! Then I feel guilty and go back to work but nothing creative comes to my mind. It's a vicious cycle,” he says.

As the boys deal with personal and professional struggles, they also work on creating more exciting tracks. Tsumyoki concludes, “Right now there’s no GTC project as we all will be working on ourselves and dropping some single tracks. But when we do get together to release another album, it’s going to be insane!”

At the time of the interview, GTC included four members. Falze, their latest addition, is a skilled drummer who joined them in June 2022

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Listen to their song 'Jackets'

ETHAN MASKIE

MELISSA FERNANDES RICKY FONSECA GASPER D'SOUZA

Nandini Velho’s workspace at home has a box of leaves and a tiny caterpillar munching on them. She excitedly opens the box and talks about rearing a striped tiger butterfly.

“All you have to do is clean the poop and give it leaves to eat. They are lovely to raise,” she says. She then leads us to another plant, Bryophyllum, a host plant to the Red Pierrot butterfly. The leaves looked partially dried. “Many people think the leaves of this plant are spoiled but caterpillars are growing within the leaf. A single leaf can propagate to becoming a plant,” she informs. She gifted me a leaf and just like she said, a beautiful butterfly flew out of it one morning.

The excitement of rearing a butterfly was immeasurable. While the butterfly flew away, the feeling I got of being able to see it grow, created a lasting impression. Such is Nandini’s work. She doesn’t only connect with nature but everyone and everything associated with it, inspiring as she carries forth.

She proudly says, “Choosing my career path is a natural extension of my life in Goa. Being born and brought up in Goa, I had the privilege of always being close to the ocean, river or forest. Also, my family is outdoororiented and my mother, who despite having polio used to come with us to explore a forest. My father, too, introduced me to wildlife by sending me on camps that were run by World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India). These were important determinants for me.”

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Nandini works at Arunachal's Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary and sometimes at the Pakke Tiger Reserve. Her efforts have been instrumental in reviewing and helping write Tiger Conservation Plans of important reserves in northeast India. She has also worked closely with the Forest Department, local community leaders and other NGOs, and was part of a team that organised the first-ever Arunachal Bird Festival at Eaglenest.

While at Eaglenest, Nandini published a book TheEaglenestMemoryProject in 2019. The book is a living recollection of the Bugun and Shertukpen communities. It aims to recreate the missing links of the sanctuary’s history through important events. “None of these stories have been told before,” says Nandini.

Nandini shares a story from the book about the Dalai Lama who was fleeing from Tibet and passed through the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. This story was told by Kaibo Phiang, now more than 85 years old. Back in 1959, Kaibo was a dak runner (mail carrier), working for the Indian Postal Service for 12 years and a village head priest. He met the Dalai Lama. He remembers that the Dalai Lama stopped over for lunch at Chaku in the middle of the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. He also remembers that the Dalai Lama’s sister and mother were wearing shawls made from sheep skin.

Her book has many such fascinating stories that draw a beautiful picture of what life was at the sanctuary.

While Nandini voiced the many stories about animals and nature through her book, she also was at the forefront of the Mollem Campaign in Goa where she fought fiercely. “When there are ill-conceived projects that are hastily passed without due diligence, I don’t look at myself as someone who won’t raise a voice. My motivation to fight was drawn from a great sense of citizenship that I see from young people and that has been learned over generations. It was not only about environmental activists coming together, it was about saying that this is the Goa we want and we love. I see my work as an extension of that.”

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The book is about how the community remembers their forest and in the way they want to remember. It’s their lived experience, their lived voice. Through the project, I wanted to bring out first-person narratives of people who cherish their stories. They were stories that were waiting to be told.

As a scientist, Nandini states that a debate runs in her field — should scientists talk to power? She explains, “The definition of activism is a subset of trying to institute social and political change. And my science and research should contribute to that. I see them as one. I am a scientist, a citizen and I want to be fact-based and sensitive to multiple contexts.”

This is the Red Pierrot that we saw grow from a caterpillar to a butterfly. 020.

How many can you solve?

What word has kst in the middle, in the beginning, and at the end?

Two men are in a desert. They both have backpacks on. One of the guys is dead. The guy who is alive has his backpack open and the guy who is dead has his backpack closed. What is in the dead man’s backpack?

How can the number four be half of five?

What has fifteen diamonds but isn’t rich?

Where can you find a hammer and an anvil that are too small for human hands to use?

First, think of the color of the clouds. Next, think of the color of snow. Now, think of the color of a bright full moon. Now answer quickly what do cows drink?

If all Wibbles are Criggles, all Borkins are Kwumblins, no Hoggles are Borkins, and all Criggles are Borkins, is it true that all Borkins are Criggles?

How do eight eights add up to one thousand?

Answers on Page 32

Challenging the Automated Industry

q Jason Almeida

INTERVIEWER

MELISSA FERNANDES

PHOTOGRAPHY

ETHAN MASKIE

VIDEOGRAPHY

RICKY FONSECA

VIDEO EDITOR

GASPER D'SOUZA

With an instinct to find mass and balance, Jason Almeida, a commercial pilot turned entrepreneur invented Raze, an ergonomic manual grass-cutting tool. Here’s an excerpt from his interview.

Many locals, like my family, who own agricultural land in Goa, hire workers to clean the field and cut grass using an automated machine. These expensive machines are strapped onto the backs of the workers and weigh around 10 kgs. They use fuel to operate and if damaged, cost heavily to repair. Along with this, farmers have to manage hourly workers’ wages, and rising costs of fuel, amounting to a large investment for one task out of the lot — cutting grass.

If the investments are high, the yield should also be. So, I started talking to a lot of people and researching the best solution. I learned that the workers faced back problems due to the weight of the machine. I thought of starting with something simple – improving the manual tool, the grass sword, and the scythe. The grass sword is an L-shaped tool while the scythe is a European medieval harvesting tool. I used the grass sword to cut grass to feel the pain and burden these workers feel.

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Q. 024.

I realised that it was not completely efficient. I had to swing 10 times to clear a tiny patch. It put a lot of burden on my lower back, wrist, and hands. What they were doing was at the cost of their bodies. It shocked me to think that we have advanced so much that rockets are going to space but there is nothing to help a farmer.

I wanted to challenge something that has not been changed for so long, especially in the manual industry. I knew this was an opportunity for me to try something. When I first saw the scythe, I was hurt. That’s the best we could do? I have flown an aircraft that is so advanced and when it comes to manual cutting, the scythe is the best? I was inspired by it but I thought we could do better. It’s a good tool but it doesn’t work that well in India.

I had a vision of how I wanted the final design to look and kept trying to achieve that vision. I tried modifying the scythe but I wasn’t providing anything new. I was providing a quick fix. Moreover, the scythe wasn't designed for weed cutting. I wanted to provide value. I wasn’t too confident if my vision would materialise or not. But I went for it and worked on my design.

... I made 12 prototypes till I was satisfied with the final product. I remember, when I first started, I would go to the local welders and give them instructions they found so bizarre. I tried to show them the shape and angles with my hand and they looked at me blankly. That’s when I decided to weld. It was scary at first but I learned it.

Want to to check out how Raze works? Check out more on Jason’s Instagram account

Raze, a patent-pending invention, manually cuts grass and provides the farmers with an affordable alternative.

It’s more efficient than other traditional manual tools like the koita and the grass sword. It’s meant to reduce tiredness, impact on the wrist and back, and competes with the speed of the automatic machine at a better price with no need for maintenance. It can cut a variety of grass sizes with ease in different areas.

Compared to Raze, the automatic grass-cutting machine can cover between 150 to 400 sq meters an hour; while Raze would cover 90 to 300 sq meters an hour. It’s not equivalent to the machine but it’s fast enough to compete.

Yes. Absolutely! It’s a threat to the automatic industry. I know it will not match automation, but it’s here to tell the automated industry to buck up. Automatic products also have problems and they should address them. I want to challenge them to improve their design and efficiency.

Raze is not here to replace the automated industry; it’s an option for farmers who don’t want the financial burden.

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I launched Raze last year in September and have constantly been in touch with my customers to assist them on how to use it and learned from their feedback and adapted. I go to my customers and help them figure out how it is done. It’s not easy, it’s a manual tool but I try to be there for them. I still assist them with every query. Even now, I fine-tune the blade design. I don’t want to only focus on sales; I want to focus on feedback and improving efficiency. It’s always on my mind where can I improve?

I was selling Raze with rubber grips, now I sell it with teakwood handles as it reduces the vibrations. This is what I learned over time through feedback. I want to make sure that people believe that it does work. 027.

Products you will ‘Louvre’

Products so stunning, we think they should have their own museum

Maya Pistola

Price: ₹ 2,695/-

Maya Pistola is a 100% agave spirit. An additive-free Reposado, Pistola is double-distilled in Chittoor, and then aged in ex-bourbon casks in Goa.

Clamistry Studio

Price: ₹ 250/-

Summers are fun with sunny sunflowers. These lightweight, handcrafted clay earrings are perfect for a fun day at the beach or a Sunday brunch with friends!

Plantisserie

Price: ₹ 1,499/- | The Medium Box

The ‘Medium’ Box is Plantisserie’s succulent plant arrangement to shape up your living room with their hexagon-shaped planter, created by Rickstore.

Note: Click on product images to view profiles

Our Slug Life

Price: ₹ 2,150/- | Gender-neutral Burrito

An everyday utility sling equipped to roll up all your belongings in one bag. Upsize or downsize it as needed. Handmade in small batches.

Artsy Little Miss

Price: ₹ 900/- | Size: 21 x 29.7 cms

Add beauty to your homes with personalised, themed quilled initials and names for your loved ones.

05. 06.

Circa Pickles

100 gm: Rs. 125/300 gm: Rs. 275/-

CIRCA encompasses uniquely flavoured pickles brought to life by family recipes perfected over three generations, leaving each product to speak of its own mastery. 029. Follow us on:

Florence & Co.

Price: ₹ 799/- onwards |

Amourette Scented Luxury Candle

Made using 100% soy wax. Hand-poured, wooden wick and eco-friendly with a wide variety of chemical-free fragrances to choose from!

Golden Chantilly

Price: ₹ 220/- | Signature Dome

Golden Chantilly's favourite entremet includes the ‘Signature Dome’ which presents a balanced flavour palate for anyone that loves chocolate and nuts.

Sia Illustrates

Price: ₹7,200/-

Dimensions: 21.5x 29 cm (including frame)

This painting was an early attempt at sketching the quaint Fontainhas neighbourhood. Siya wanted to capture the everyday life here on these magical streets which feel special and somehow very normal at the same time.

10.

Price: ₹ 500/-

Our beautiful hand-embroidered pair of earrings can be customised to go with any outfit! These earrings are hand-stitched, creating magic with every weave.

To list your products in our upcoming issues, send an email to hello@getcreativegoa.com

Include a short description, high-res image, price and other details you might want to share.

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031.

Did you get them all?

Here's all the answers to the riddles on page 21

IV, the Roman numeral for four, is half (two letters) of the word five.

A deck of cards

In the human ear. They are the smallest bones in the body.

Carisio Azavedo a.k.a Bongisio is a rising Konkani rapper who is nurtured and supported by the people of Merces. His music is an extension of his beliefs, one being breaking language stereotypes.

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VIDEO EDITOR

Her culinary trajectory took her from working at a café in Goa to large-scale restaurants in the U.S. and Mumbai to her now owning a popular restaurant, Larder + Folk, Panjim. Chef Priyanka Sardessai doesn’t shy from talking about her mistakes or her struggle to find her passion and make something of it. Her husband and photographer, Siddharth Sumitran captures her day!

MY MUM IS A GREAT COOK AND STARTED HER OWN RESTAURANT...

...when I was around 7 years. So, I’d spend a lot of time watching her cook food in bulk and I’d be excited to help. But when she would take good cuts of fish to the restaurant instead of getting it home, I’d get very upset.

RICKY FONSECA

"Back in the day, I worked with Chef Vandana Naik who ran Tea Café in Panjim. I had no idea what I was getting into. My feet would hurt daily. She would give me odd jobs, but gradually, I had to handle an entire station. I worked here for 5 months and that’s when I decided I want to go to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and become a chef. My dad was not convinced. He wasn’t sure I’d survive in this industry."

"When I got back from the US, I started working for celebrity chef Amninder Sandhu in Bombay who is my mentor. She gave me a lot of responsibilities which pushed me to my potential. I call her for every little thing to date. She’s a little taller than me and can put her entire hand in a hot tandoor! It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. She was supportive when I started Larder + Folk She pushed me to do things out of my comfort zone, which today helps me to run a business."

"Siddharth and I did a few private events and realised that we needed a bigger kitchen. That’s when we went all out. We had to figure out everything — right from a business plan to a profitability statement. Chef Amninder Sandhu helped us out a lot. She explained how it all works and we did it. We hired a team and everything started coming together."

"The first thing I made in my kitchen is the fried chicken sandwich because of my experience at Red Rooster, Harlem

We ate fried chicken all the time –breakfast, lunch and dinner."

Say the colour of each word...

How fast can you say it?

(Don't read the word)

black white yellow green red blue

yellow red black green white red

white green red black yellow green

black white yellow green red blue

white green red black yellow green

yellow red black green white red

white green red black yellow green

Piecing Magic Together s Shallu Sharma

Shallu Sharma, an established mosaic artist, describes mosaic as meditative and shares her journey in choosing an offbeat career path that’s creatively satisfying.

INTERVIEWER

MELISSA FERNANDES

PHOTOGRAPHY

ETHAN MASKIE

VIDEOGRAPHY

RICKY FONSECA

VIDEO EDITOR

GASPER D'SOUZA

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A Fine Arts graduate from Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, with a specialisation in painting, Shallu navigated the path of being an art teacher, a painter, a wall muralist and accidentally stumbled upon being a mosaicist.

Failure is not an occurrence in mosaic as each and everything can be rectified. Of course, it does take longer than you anticipate, but you just cannot fail.

“One day when the library at the school I was working in was being renovated, I chose to paint it and used that as an excuse to skip mundane teacher-training sessions. Once, a colleague who taught sculpture joined me and we started work on the exterior walls of the school building. She suggested mosaic as it would protect the walls and required less maintenance, and just like that I got hooked,” recalls Shallu.

Since then there was no going back. Shallu pursued this form of art as a career and took up her very first project of creating an ocean scene in the bathroom of a residential apartment in New Delhi. “It took us a month to complete the project. It was thrilling,” she adds.

Shallu’s fondest piece she created for herself while in Italy; 2019.

11 years back, she came to Goa for 3 days to help her friend with her interiors. She showed her portfolio to architects in Goa and gradually, things fell in place.

“Goa fell in love with me; it wanted me to be here,” she quips. She moved to Goa and started conducting mosaic workshops and soon got offered many projects.

The majestic birds on the Rua de Ourem footbridge in Fontainhas reflect her artistic skill, dedication and creativity. “I did a bit of research with professional bird watchers and came up with the concept. It took us almost 5 months of 3 working shifts to complete the project,” says Shallu. She even used her talent to create the humongous wall mosaic measuring 140 sq feet at the Naval War College, INS Mandovi.

When asked about her fondest memory of mosaic, she rewinds time to July 2019 when she went to Florence, Italy for 6 days to attend a workshop by three famous mosaicists — Rosanna Fattorini, Santi Marco and Béatrice. “I was a student who was working on a piece without any expectations from a client and no fear of results. It was my piece that I was going to keep and till today, I have no intentions of selling it. This piece is very special to me.”

Talking about the scope of mosaic, Shallu says, “Mosaic requires patience as each tile is hand-cut and placed onto the final product. It’s like creating a giant jigsaw puzzle! Those who are interested in it should know that it’s not quick money. It is a labour-intensive job for which you need a skilled team. It can’t be done alone. I hire people and train them for 4 to 5 months. Right now, there are only introductory courses taught in India. There’s no accessible education for those who are interested.”

q Vinita Baretto

Vinita Baretto, a self-made photographer, switched to pursuing photography as a career when an unfortunate accident forced her to quit corporate life.

“I got my first smartphone in 2016 and had gone for a ride with a friend when a cloud formation fascinated me. That was my first photograph,” she recalls. Describing her excitement as childlike, Vinita pursued her interest and discovered her ability to trust her intuition and naturally compose photographs. “The kick I got during that ride is something I have never experienced.”

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Vinita’s photographs include tightly composed close-ups of frames of her home and her surroundings. Drawn towards capturing lights and shadows, she seeks beauty in the most mundane elements around her — trees, the sea, her rescued pets, leaves, etc. Her photographs have an intriguing quality, almost telling a story like none other. She credits her practice for making her observant of climate change by watching clouds and the leaves in every changing season. “Lights and shadows are metaphorical of how we are as people — good and bad. I subconsciously convey that through my work.”

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Get Creative Goa was founded by Vince Costa and since then has grown into a team of like-minded foodies who collectively fuel the ENGINE!

Here’s a peek into who we are:

Vince Costa

Cylinder Block

Focused on showcasing the creative minds in Goa and boosting the creative community, he is on the constant lookout for opportunities that aid his thought process.

As he propels his vision forward, he continues to infuse creativity in just about everything.

Scovia Mascarenhas

Alternator

A new addition to the synonyms of juggling, she effortlessly manages three kids, a food business and us!

Nicole Suares

Intercooler

A writer and photographer, travel tops her bucket list and when not travelling, she uses words to transport her to places unknown!

Chris Varela

Spark Plug

Thinking out of the box comes as easy as devouring cutlet paos. With a humourous repertoire and a wide smile, he's constantly coming up with newer ways to annoy Divya, while simultaneously boosting social media engagement like a pro.

Chayne Lobo

Crankcase

Gifted with a unique perspective, he can spend hours behind the lens,capturing the mood, vibe & everything in between. Striking a conversation comes easy as his friendly smile, happy thoughts, tasteful music and humorous comebacks are always in store.

Divya Desai

Fuel Injector

A tech nerd, her designs exude creativity and her thoughts are geared toward organising ideas, concepts, and simply everything.

Melissa Fernandes

Gear

Innately curious, compulsively observant, she’s a complete non-vegetarian who can not only sniff out food, but also stories.

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