Fashioning Goa’s Windows

A new craft is born

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Window Modeling: Museum of Goa (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Museum Of Goa

The Museum of Goa plays the role of an inspirational mentor to the world of art and creativity.Through it, Subodh Kerkar, its founder, established the Museum of Goa Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that encourages local communities to develop livelihoods based on artistic skills.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Artists, curators and experts become catalysts for social change by offering an atmosphere of both uninhibited creativity along with advice on technical, digital and organisational skills.

Migrant communities in constricted habitats learn to reach out to a larger world where they can link the history and art forms of Goa with their newly developed talents, and helps them better their social and economic status.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The Women@Work program has been nurtured by Sharda Kerkar, the daughter of Subodh Kerkar, the man behind the Museum of Goa. His artistic ideas blossom under the creative hands of a women’s group she established.

It is a livelihood programme that aims to empower underprivileged women communities by honing their creative, social and digital skills to create livelihood opportunities. Beginning with 30 women in this start-up venture, it intends to include 500 women of the area.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Making Windows out of Epoxy Resin

Those in the group have learned to make attractive replicas of Goan windows in fibre glass and resin which they fashion entirely by hand. Moulds are prepared out of silicon rubber on which the window designs are etched. The epoxy resin which is mixed with hardener is poured into the mould, that finally takes the shape of the window.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Moulds are prepared out of silicon rubber on which the window designs are etched.

It is a simple resin casting process, which is done by a group of householders from less privileged sections of society.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The epoxy resin which is mixed with hardener is poured into the mould, that finally takes the shape of the window.

This is the inside of a rubber mould. Intricate detailing of the window is etched onto it, which gets filled with resin once it is poured inside.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Before pouring the resin into the mould, it is first gently applied with a coat of turpentine oil with a brush.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

It is done to avoid direct contact of resin with rubber as they might stick together while removing the windows.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The women wear gloves for safety as resin is a chemical with which they should avoid direct contact.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The craft of making small replicas of
Goa’s special windows is not a result of any traditional practice.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Introduction of new craft skills in comfortable and safe workspaces offer dignity to women who had no capacity to earn.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The process of pouring resin into the
mould is done quickly to avoid hardening, which would not give the desired effect.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The epoxy resin is first mixed with hardener before it is poured into the moulds. It is a solution which is mixed while the resin is still inside the container.

Mixing resin with the hardener ensures quick drying inside the mould, and also adds on to the strength of the final windows.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

After pouring the resin into the mould, the solution is gently spread uniformly.

This insures that the shape and thickness of all the cast windows remains same.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Resin in the molten state inside the
rubber mould.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

It takes few minutes for the resin before it starts solidifying.

And after few minutes till it solidifies, the window in carefully removed out of the mould which is then ready to be painted.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The moulded fibreglass window goes through different stages before they are ready to be painted in bright colours.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Dark brown in colour, the resin windows are then carefully taken out of their respective moulds.

The windows which have faulty edges are then subjected to a grinding process, which adds finesse to the surface.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

After the windows are taken out of the moulds, they are kept in water for some time, before the grinding process.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The resin windows are washed with soap water to get rid of any particulate matters, before they are ready for the white coating.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The models are sent to the Museum of Goa premises where the base white colour, or primer, is sprayed on by men who assist at the museum workshop.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

When the model window frames are painted white, they are distributed to a larger group of women for painting.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Painting The Resin Windows

They give free rein to their love of colour by painting these small models to sell to art and architecture lovers and tourists who look further than beaches and sunshine for a better understanding of Goa and its talents. The project takes a three-pronged approach involving skill and knowledge enhancement, and community-based engagement to develop new ideas in artistic handmade work.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

After the resin windows are carefully scrapped with sandpaper and coated with white acrylic paint, the windows are then ready to be painted with desired colours, to match the real ones.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Each painter gets as many frames as she wishes to work on, and left to select her own colour palette.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The replicas of a variety of actual windows which are so much a part of Goa’s chequered history, are given new life through colours with a paintbrush.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Painting each model in a different colour becomes a way of self-expression and creativity for the newly developing artist.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Their awareness of the architecture of Goa’s old windows help the women bring life to their art work.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Young girls and elder women are equally enthusiastic about trying out their own colour ideas.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Women who have an inclination for painting are invited from the vicinity to paint the windows at the workshop or at home once the basic model is completed by the permanent group.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The Women@Work group gather in a group to paint their model shell windows with their own colour choices and creative flair.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Using arcylic paint with the help of brushes, they give life to these little resin windows that are reflection of the real ones.

Window Modeling: Process (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The working group consists of Kavita Singh, Swarupa Kamli, Sharmamala, Savita Sutar and Meena Prajapati who make the windows.

Then they go to a bigger group for painting.

Window Modeling: Windows - Souvenirs (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Apart from window modelling they now make screen printed fish shapes stuffed with cloth and stitched into keychains and magnets.

There are over six designs of marine creatures illustrated by artist Subodh Kerkar. Cowries which were originally used as a form of currency and also widely used all over India by folk communities as decorative embellishments, are hand-stitched onto sack-like cloth into different shapes, forms and sizes.

Window Modeling: Goan houses (2019)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Read more about window modelling from Goa here:
- Goa’s Windows
- Museum of Goa

Goa’s new heritage craft
Credits: Story

Text: Jaya Jailty
Photography: Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Artisans: Kavita Singh, Swarupa Kamli,
Ground Facilitator: Ankit Kumar, Sharda
Documentary Video: Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Curation: Ruchira Verma

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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