Sonatina Mendes is a member of our group and a friend and loved one for all of us who know her. Originally from Goa, she now lives and works in Baroda. As a woman artist desiring to live independently, safety and security have become major issues of concern that disallow the older traditions of freedom that artists enjoyed in this city in the past. It has also become increasingly difficult to procure rented accommodation in Baroda which is suitable as studio spaces. Every 11 months renegotiations of rent occur and women tenants face perpetual harassment to move out at short notice. It is for all these reasons and many more that we have bonded together to encourage our friend Sonatina, to take up the challenge of building a studio-home.
Spear headed by Rekha Rodwittiya and Surendran Nair who are handling this venture of building the studio-home for Sonatina, Theen Tamasha and other friends and colleagues are choosing to be collectively involved with this process as well. We as artists through the donation of our work, have over the years constantly supported countless efforts to raise funds for numerous causes, and so we thought it is imperative to do something for someone within our own art community : for a friend who requires assistance and support, and to do it as a gift of belief.
Sonatina owns a plot of land of 1300 sq feet in Baroda, gifted to her by her parents who are settled in Goa. A studio home of 2400 sq ft (ground plus 1st & 2nd floor) has been designed by Narendra Joshi who is working free for this project. The studio-home is being built under the supervision of Sailesh Mistry who has reduced his fee for this project. Uday Joshi and Kamlesh Patel are also serving this project without accepting any labour fees for their work and consultancy. The list is long of those who are putting in their efforts to make the spirit of the collective, realize this project. However for reasons of privacy to those who are extending their support to this project, no donor friends name will be disclosed.
A group of artist friends from Baroda have already sold a work each, (through their respective galleries, who waived their commission fee as a gesture of solidarity to this fund raising effort), and the entire proceeds of these sales have been given to this project.
The appeal we are making on our blog Theen Tamasha (and Friends) is to have a sale of works of Sonatina Mendes, through this blog space. Our target is to raise 20 lakhs which is the required amount to complete this studio-home. Every bit of help will add up and every gesture will be received with the deepest of gratitude. We therefore fervently make this appeal to each of you with the hope that you will join us in contributing your support to our project. We also request you to help us to generate an interest for this endeavour by disseminating this appeal to those who you may believe to be empathetic to embracing such an idea as a collective project. All the sales will go directly to Sonatina Mendes. The unframed artworks will be packed and couriered by a reputed and established service, and the cost of all Indian posting will be undertaken by Theen Tamasha & Friends. The entire fund raising project and all the related modalities to this venture are personally being supervised by Rekha Rodwittiya & Surendran Nair.
The system we are proposing to follow is that the moment we receive a confirmation of a sale we will immediately remove that specific work/s from the list presented as available works. As mentioned earlier absolute privacy will be maintained and no names of those who support this project will be revealed, unless otherwise desired. We are deeply hopeful that many of you will open your hearts and embrace this idea with your support.
A list of the works are given below.
Please Note: Payments are accepted by Demand Draft of Cheque in favour of Sonatina Mendes
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Good luck on your project. Wish you all the success. the diffused still life are beautiful
ReplyDeleteTheen Tamasha would like to thank all those who have embraced us with their spirit and energy and support towards this project. We deeply appreciate the responses to this appeal and look forward to many more!
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