Capturing The Beauty Of Goan

Akeru Barros Pereira is no stranger to Goa. She is a writer, teacher and artist by profession, who lives and teaches in Japan. Married to Joao Barros Pereira from Cansaulim, Akeru has been visiting Goa since her marriage and finds Goa exotic compared to life in Japan. Her fascination and love for painting Goan homes goes back nearly three decades. Her first sketch was her husband's ancestral house in South Goa. Tor somebody from Japan, Goa is very exotic. When I visited Goa for the first time, the Indo-Portuguese houses captured my attention. I was fascinated by the combination of houses and coconut trees. I wandered around the neighbourhood of my husband's house with my cameras. I am simply happy to draw or paint," Akeru. She loves to draw Goan houses because these houses are a mixture of both, Portuguese and Indian architecture, and the fruit of
Goan peoples' hard work.

She is curyently showcasing her works based on Indo-Portuguese Goan houses in an exhibition called 'Casas Goesas' at Carpe Diem, Majorda. The exhibition will be open to the public till April 1, 2018. She works with the unique combination of Chinese ink, watercolour and colour pencils on Japanese paper. "The materials I use are simple; colour pencils, watercolour, and ink and paper for calligraphy. Every elementary school kid in Japan uses them at school and the materials are available in ordinary shops if I can have an exhibition using these materials, anybody can do it"

Akeru is a comic book writer who has written several storybooks for children in Japan. "I was a manga writer. I did both stories and illustrations. I haven't been to any art school but I've always liked drawing. After bringing up my two children, I started to draw and paint again," she says.

Akeru's first exhibition was 'Houses of Goa', which was held at Kala Academy, followed by her second exhibition at Arossim Beach. Gerard Da Cunha, architect and curator of Houses of Goa, was very supportive in bringing out the exhibitions. He has featured 50 of her sketches in his book The Indo-Portuguese House'.

"I am not a full-time painter I have to go to school to teach and also have to do all the housekeeping work. So I don't have much time to draw or paint But there are so many beautiful houses in Goa, so I will continue to draw them when I have free time. I hope these houses, big and small, will be preserved.

I’ve come across different houses cute little ones and even rundown ones; the latter I have painted unbroken. Some pretty houses have disappeared after I've sketched them. When I see old houses, I feel the feelings of the Great Goan masons and carpenters who created them and the people who lived in them.

I feel the joy and tears. That is what I try to capture in my drawings and paintings," says Akeru, who will be featuring more of South Goa homes in 'Casas Goesas'.