Watch: Ocean artist makes a case for sustainable living by making art from discarded fishing boats

Kashinath Gabit
Size:116cm diameter 9 cm thick
Weight:38 kg
Year: 2023

“The Konkani word for fishermen is Gabit. This wood carving is created with my colleague Shivanand Sutar Vishwakarma from Akkalkot in Maharashtra. I have used pieces of old fishing boats which were collected from the boat yard in Chapora. Those pieces have memories of many fishing expeditions. The memories become a part of the work…Memories are materials for my sculpture,” Kerkar captioned the post which features the video by photographer and editor Vaibhav Rajamani.

The comments section was filled with appreciative comments with chef Maria Goretti sharing, “It’s beautiful,” while artist Manjri Varde said, “Oh wow?? An exceptional piece of art!”

In an exclusive interview with indianexpress.com, Kerkar, 63, mentioned that the artwork that showcases the smiling face of a fisherman with a fish in his hands was an extension of his work that centers around the ocean and its various aspects including its surfaces. “Fishermen these days abandon wooden boats for fiber glass ones. I decided to buy these discarded ones to draw this work which came to reality owing to carving done by my colleague Shivanand. These abandoned pieces remember the sea, fishermen, surfaces, and whatnot. So, I have used memory as material for my work,” said Kerkar.

In keeping with his practice, the founder of the Museum of Goa, a private art gallery, said that the eco-friendly artwork was initially created as a collage by bringing the 30-odd wooden parts of boats together.

Interestingly, the veteran artist, with 37 years of experience, is known for his sustainable artworks created using waste materials like used coconut shells, tyres, and even sea shells.

In 2022, the artist made an eco-friendly Ganpati with a message, using a variety of vegetables, flowers, and wild fruits.

“The Ganesh festival in Goa is celebrated with much fervour, and the decorations made out of a wooden frame laden with wild and seasonal produce called matoli, which is placed over the idol, is popular,” Kerkar, who took half a day to create the installation, told indianexpress.com.

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