I am nothing: Vamona Navelcar

BHARATI PAWASKAR

‘I am nothing’ is the parallel thought that the great Goan artist Vamona Navelcar lived with, all his life. He never cared for awards or rewards - it was just his work that kept him engaged over the years. A master artist, who travelled and worked across three continents, ultimately returns to his home in Goa to lead a retired life, at a point where no-thing matters. The soon-to-be released film with the same title ‘I am nothing’ encompasses the story of this man in his late 80s. It explores the life and works of Vamona Navelcar. The film tries to explore his process while also incorporating his views on art, society, religion, culture and more. 

Vamona is an intriguing personality who has had an unimaginable journey in three continents having left more than a mark in each country he visited or worked in. The film also tries to explore the thought behind his innumerable styles and peculiar attraction towards certain historical figures. Over the course of its run time, the film slowly delves into his struggles then and now by trying to bring the art audience into the picture. 

Directed, shot and edited by Ronak Kamat, with music (original soundtrack) and sound design, both by Ashley Fernandes, this 50-minute film’s on-location sound recording has been done by Sachin Sutar and Ashley, together. Gurudas Kamat and Marius Fernandes have produced the film that’s shot entirely in Goa. Apart from Vamona Navelcar, the people in the film include Anne Ketteringham, the writer of his biography, Maria Fernanda Noronha da Costa e Sousa, an art enthusiast who happens to be one of the early buyers of his paintings, scientist and professor Dr Nandakumar Kamat, contemporary artist Suhas Shilker, writer Margaret Mascarenhas and Anant Navelcar, Vamona’s nephew. 

Cultural activist Marius Fernandes who organised ‘Great Goan Art Festival’ in Goa in 2017, is working with Steve White MBE, to celebrate Vamona in the UK. “This year we will be having a celebration sometime in June to mark the 50th anniversary of Vamona Navelcar’s first solo exhibition in London. Titled ‘Vamona 50 years on’ is to celebrate a giant from Goa who has created a niche around the world,” says Marius who has initiated around 50 festivals in Goa and who now thinks that it’s time to celebrate great Goans while they are alive, here in UK. 

Vamona is not restricted only to Goa or India. His artistic wonders have been celebrated all over the world. After the art festival in Goa, Marius got a reaction from Vamona’s fans, especially the student community that he taught in Mozambique. There is a Facebook page Vamona Ananta Sinai Navelcar which shares news about this professor whose art gained prominence right from the 1960s to the ‘90s. Vamona retured to Goa in the late 1990s and has been living in Goa since then. “But how many Goans know that this man exists amongst them?” asks Marius.

This film is an exploration of Vamona Navelcar as an artist and as a person. As an artist, Vamona almost hides behind different styles or schools of painting. Sometimes it’s hard to look at his works and deduce whether they are even painted by the same person. Ronak Kamat expresses, “This habit or sense of authority he puts into each of his styles attracted me as a filmmaker. As an artist, wouldn’t I not want to ‘be found’ in my work? For me, it was a great way of getting the audience to judge art without knowing the person behind it.” 

Vamona is an incredible human being with an inspirational story. This down-to-earth person has no ‘air’ about him and one wouldn’t guess all of his achievements and his mastery. He has gone about creating his work without thinking about any materialistic benefits that it could bear. “It is for this reason that we made the film,” states Ashley Fernandes.  

Vamona has painted with and on, everything under the sun. As a child, he would use hair from the tail of a cow to paint. He has done some incredible line drawings including and not limited to gorgeous works of Rabindranath Tagore, Fernando Pessoa and Jesus Christ. His ‘clown series’ represents a more playful phase in his career. Vamona tries to speak to the viewer through his work. Vamona’s teaching career is very inspiring. “Thanks to Facebook, a lot of Vamona’s ex-students saw the trailer of ‘I am nothing’ and wrote about him. True, cinema connects people across borders and beyond time,” smiles Ashley. 

This film does not speak of the awards Vamona received as he talks about awards in a demeaning manner. In spite of winning many awards internationally, Vamona absolutely despises any mention of awards in and out of the film. He believes that people should be recognised because of the art and not the awards one has in the cupboard. 

Apathy of Goa and Goans towards this international artist was one of the driving forces behind making the film. It’s appalling how Vamona has always been made to feel like an outsider. Vamona was and is respected and celebrated far more in Europe than in Goa. He loved Goa, so he returned. Unfortunately for him, Goa did not feel the need to reciprocate. The people in his own village are unaware of the fact that there is a world famous artist living next door. It was only after his biography written by Anne Ketteringham was released and an art festival held in his name in Panaji that people in Goa came to know about Vamona. 

What Vamona deserves is ‘to be heard’. People haven’t heard his side of the story. His work needs to be seen by erasing whatever people have about him in their minds. Let his work speak as he only wants to create and communicate. “While making such a film, it was important for us to get a strong grip over the emotional aspect. Those who have seen the film in its current stage believe that it has the ability to sting and maybe partly disturb and help sympathise. I can’t wait to finally put it out officially and hope people can connect with what we tried to do,” says Ronak.