There is a particular kind of attention that comes with sitting in front of a place and drawing it by hand. Not photographing it, not passing through it, but staying with it long enough to understand its structure, its light, and what makes it distinctly itself. That practice is at the heart of Urban Sketchers Goa, and it is what makes Goa Through Sketches, the community’s debut exhibition at Aguad Port & Jail Complex, so quietly compelling. Featuring 65 original works by 20 artists, created in pen, ink, watercolour and mixed media across locations throughout the state, the exhibition is less a gallery show than a collective act of looking. Here, in the words of the artists themselves, is what they saw.
Andrea Fernandes, Co-Admin
“Anyone who sees your art is seeing something through your eyes, through whatever you interpret. And this exhibition shows that so well: everyone’s art is so different, everyone’s own interpretation of what they’re seeing and what they feel. What I also love about Urban Sketchers is that it brings people from completely different backgrounds together. Some of us are professional artists, some of us aren’t. But everyone is in the same place, everyone is included. No one is judging anyone’s art. You can just be yourself and create.”
Darpana Athale, Admin & Founding Member
“Urban Sketchers Goa is unique because, like Goa itself, it doesn’t conform to one standard. We began sketching together in 2017 and became an official Urban Sketchers Worldwide chapter in 2018. After every sketch walk, we have a tradition of sitting together over tea, exchanging notes and building connections, that warmth is what makes the group special. Last year, we organised Goa’s first Sketch Carnival, bringing around 200 participants from across India together. Through sketch walks across Panjim, Campal and other locations, artists documented Goa from hundreds of different perspectives.”
Leandra Fernandes, Co-Admin
“The most exciting part of this exhibition for me is our Mapusa section, five or six different sketches from around the town. I’m from Mapusa, so seeing those familiar nooks and corners documented means a great deal. We even have two paintings of the same house, done in completely different styles, and most people don’t realise they’re looking at the same building. We also have a sketch of a house that has since collapsed and no longer exists. That, for me, is exactly what urban sketching is about, it is a form of documenting your city, and now that place is preserved forever in one of our sketches.”
Parinitha G. Konanur, Sketch Artist
“I’m new to Goa, and urban sketching has really helped me connect to the place , to actual local areas, to the people who live here, to the community of artists. I’ve been sketching for about twelve years, mostly in Bengaluru, and now I live in Divar, which has the most beautiful houses I’ve ever drawn. The Indo-Portuguese houses of Goa are a never-ending subject. I could explore them indefinitely. Urban sketching gives you a reason to slow down, find a corner, and really look.”
Priyanka Dhanjal, Sketch Artist
“Being with Urban Sketchers helps me see places in a completely different way. Watercolour is my main medium because it’s spontaneous, it doesn’t let you overthink. You express yourself in the moment, which I really value. But sometimes I work only in ink, because it gives me more control. It’s a good balance between letting go and holding on. And on a more personal level, coming to these sketch meets, meeting these people, it’s been a good way to maintain my sense of self after becoming a mother. It’s very easy to lose yourself. But whenever I’m here, I feel like I’m still the same person.”
Raysancia D. Cunha, Sketch Artist
“I love capturing the beauty and essence of the structures we see in Goa, especially the old Indo-Portuguese houses. I feel that through my sketchbook, I can do my small bit to preserve the culturally rich heritage of this state. This exhibition is my first group show, and I have four paintings on display. I’m deeply grateful to the Urban Sketchers Goa admins and the team at Aguad for this opportunity.”
Ritu Dhiraj Shukla
“I love sketching the Panjim market, the beauty it holds changes with every season. In mango season, it’s all yellow, full of beautiful varieties. And the cats. I’m very drawn to the cats, all their different colours, just sitting everywhere. Two of my paintings in this exhibition have cats in them, alongside scenes from the market.”
Ruturaj Ramchandra Tambekar
“I’m a founding member of Urban Sketchers Kolhapur and I joined Urban Sketchers Goa in 2023 when I moved here for work.. My style is primarily watercolour with pen outlines, and I like to play with negative space, leaving as much of it as possible, and using it to highlight the main details of a building. One of my pieces in the exhibition is of St Augustine Tower, Old Goa.”
Sarth Satish Bakare
I’m an architect and artist originally from Kolhapur and this is my very first exhibition. I came all the way to Goa to be part of it. What made it even more special was that one of the Aguad team members bought my sketch before the inauguration had even taken place. I’m very glad, and very grateful.”
Schubert de Abreu
“I work primarily as a web developer and have been sketching with Urban Sketchers Goa for about three years. This exhibition was particularly important to me because it was the first time I’ve ever exhibited any artwork. Learning how to print, frame and price a piece, and how to present yourself as an artist, was invaluable. My work tends towards smaller, more detailed pieces: things that are often overlooked, and things that are deeply rooted in Goa’s heritage.”
Shrunkhala R. Damke
“I’m an architect by profession, and that love for buildings naturally finds its way into my paintings. What inspires me most is a structure’s timeline, what it has been through, what it carries from its history. When you sit in front of it and sketch it, you feel as though you are living inside that history. Even a ruined building has its own beauty. Through art, you can make it alive again.”
Vinay Prabhu Mhambre
“Being Goan, the heritage, the architecture and the natural beauty of this place have always inspired me. Urban Sketchers has taught me to look at familiar things differently, and to put them down in a way that captures them for posterity. Some of the structures in our paintings no longer exist, they’ve collapsed, they’re gone. But they remain in the painting. That’s a memory that lasts forever. Having this exhibition at Aguad, which is itself a heritage structure, and our opening on Independence Day, nothing else could have been more fitting.”
Goa Through Sketches is on view at the Aguad Port & Jail Complex, Sinquerim, until 20 September 2026. Open daily, 10 AM to 8 PM.