The Most Famous Suitcase in Goan Art History

[Selma Carvalho]

By Ava Sherry featuring R. Benedito Ferrao and Vamona Navelcar's "The Destination is the Journey."

I had been drawn to R. Benedito Ferrão and Vamona Navelcar’s The Destination is the Journey, initially because it wasn’t obvious in its positioning. It felt almost like a puzzle, except with every answer found, another layer of depth revealed itself. The Destination is The Journey forms part of R. Benedito Ferrão’s edited book, Goa/Portugal/Mozambique: The Many Lives of Vamona Navelcar (2017) which is about a Goan artist — Navelcar (1929-2021) — whose life and identity, due to colonial forces, became dispersed across the boundaries of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Vamona Navelcar (1929-2021): A canvas across three continents R Benedito Ferrão & Vishvesh Prabhakar Kandolkar The artist lived and worked in India, Portugal and Mozambique, died on October 18.

Best,

Selma Carvalho

Author of "Sisterhood of Swans" and "Notes on a Marriage" both published by Speaking Tiger, India.