Mohit Naik
Inspired by his father’s workbudding artist Mohan Naik is all set for his debut solo art show. “My father is very inspired by thevillage and I am inspired by my father, as I grew up looking at his paintings,” says Mohit Naik as he prepares to open a major solo show of his works in Goa. And no wonder for Mohit’s father is the celebrated Goan artist Mohan Naik, a firmly entrenched figure in Goa’s artistic landscape. The veteran artist’s style is instantly recognizable and much loved by his collectors. Scenes of village life, rural women going about their daily routines, goatherds shepherding their goats – these motifs are the mainstay of the senior artist’s visual repertoire.And while Mohit is not breaking new ground with his show, he is still embarking on a visual journey that is his own – using themes and techniques, details and depictions differently from his father.Being an only child and growing up in an isolated village in South Goa, the young Mohit naturally gravitated towards art, being surrounded by his father’s paintings and art materials. Life was slow in the village and learning and exploring both village life and painting became absorbing activities.Mohit recounts, “I had started painting from a very young age, as the art material was easily available for me. We used to go for a walk in our village, around the mountains to develop inspirations, experience those beautiful things and use it in the paintings. My father always used to guide me as how I could develop and improve my paintings. I remember I had painted my first canvas when I was in 5th std. I continued painting on papers, with different mediums especially with soft pastels. I won many school level competitions, and had my first group exhibition when I was in 8th std at Attic art gallery Panjim in 2008. I again got an opportunity to exhibit my paintings at the Art fest Chinchinim in 2011.”Mohit took a detour to finish his studies in commerce and business. After gaining his BBA and MBA degrees and working a job for a few years he decided his heart wasn’t in it and organically came back to his first love- art.
