Marcio Menino Fernandes’ debut art show which opens on April 21 showcases a collection of paintings that is quintessentially Goan
CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
It is an often felt sentiment that time spent away from one’s homeland increases one’s fondness for it. In Marcio Menino Fernandes’ case, it led him to pick up his brush and acrylic colours and begin to paint.
Having completed his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the Goa College of Art, Altinho, Fernandes moved to London to pursue his master’s degree in fine arts at the City & Guilds of London Art School.
While he was finding his footing in the new place, the Merces-born artist began yearning for the Goan landscapes, leading him to paint Goan subjects
more frequently.
“I wasn’t painting what was in front of me—I was painting what stayed with me; the memories, the impressions, the stories that refused to fade,” he shares.
These paintings depicted simple yet profound subjects, such as roadside crosses, crows, coconut trees, clergymen, pandits, a few traditional festivals, and the occasional beach landscape. “For me, these are the true soul of Goa,” he says. “I’m drawn to the everyday—things that are often overlooked, passed by without a second glance. These small, quiet elements hold memory, emotion, and identity. They speak of place in a language that’s subtle, but powerful.”
Elaborating on this, he points to the roadside crosses. “To some, they’re just markers. But to me, they hold stories of faith, loss, and community—a moment of reverence in the middle of movement,” he says. Similarly, he says, the crows, ever-present and often dismissed, are witnesses to everything. They know the streets, the rooftops, the rhythm of the day. The coconut trees too, he says, aren’t just part of the scenery—they’re guardians, providers, part of the architecture of Goan life.
“Even the traditional festivals—celebrated quietly in villages, often without fanfare—carry deep cultural significance. They mark time, harvest, ancestry,” he says. While Fernandes does at times paint the beaches, he emphasises that he does not do this because of their tourist glamour. “I’m interested in their solitude, the way the light falls at dawn, or the sense of abandonment in the
off-season,” he says.
Fernandes spent over two years working on these paintings, growing the collection to 50 pieces. “It was a very gradual process filled with quiet intimacy, as if Goa was revealing itself to me in whispers. And slowly, those whispers became colour and form—each painting a quiet dialogue between me and the land I was trying to honour,” he says.
The artist will now be showcasing 45 of these works at his debut solo art show ‘Stories of Goa’, which opens on April 21 at the Sadhana Dell ‘Arte in Merces, his home village.
Through this exhibition, Fernandes states, he is also trying to get Goa back on the map with its rich culture and heritage. Inspired by the ongoing resource depletion in Goa, his series of still life paintings feature toy-like objects serving as visual metaphors for the disruption of Goa’s natural splendour. In this way, he says, the series also functions as a tool for activism and a voice for conservation, capturing the remnants of Goa’s vibrant landscape.
“Goa, my birthplace, isn’t just a backdrop; it’s an integral part of me. Its stories, silences, and struggles reside within me. This body of work felt like a responsibility to represent my homeland honestly. It transcended creativity into a protective act,” he says.
With this show, he also hopes to dispel common stereotypes and misconceptions about the state. “Outsiders often perceive Goa through narrow lenses, flattening it into beaches, parties, and clichés. But there’s more: the quiet resistance of its people, cultural depth, fading traditions, and modern pressures reshaping its soul. I painted to challenge these perceptions, showing Goa as a place to be understood, respected, and preserved,” he says, adding that he has no plans to take this art show to any other place.
“These paintings aren’t just representations; they’re offerings. They belong here, where the stories began, where the faces are familiar, and where the undercurrents of change, struggle, and resilience are deeply felt. So, I don’t feel the need to take this show elsewhere,” he says. “The paintings are meant to be a mirror, a gesture of gratitude, and perhaps a conversation—held here, at home.”
