The story behind the Koli

Sometime between 1987 and 1988 a 10yearold boy found his calling while on a school picnic to Gorai Beach He collected seashells that were in sight to create one of the first art pieces he was ever truly proud of ldquoI took a cardboard and stuck all the shells together rather shabbily using Fevicol I showed it off to my teachers and classmates I didnrsquot understand why they didnrsquot like it In my eyes it was the most beautiful thing I had createdrdquo laughs contemporary artist and auto ethnographer Parag Tandel who is now best known for his huge body of works that document and safeguard the life and history of one of the earliest original communities of Mumbai mdash the KolisA fisherwoman participates in the rituals on the festival in Mahim Koliwada File PicsldquoThe Tandel Fund of Archives TFA is a means to counterarchive a recent claim by a scholar that Kolis are not originally from Mumbai It brings to fore our history and facts because only a Koli can tell you the accurate history of our communityrdquo shares Tandel whose works be it for his art of the TFA are stringently researchoriented One such artwork that documents the colonisation by the Portuguese is the Arrival of Port Wine 3 2023 and the impact on the ageold tradition of jambul winemaking once enjoyed by the Kolis The Portuguese outlawed the traditional fermentation process to promote imported Port wines Tandelrsquos artwork was a sculpture of ships constructed out of the wood of the jambul tree the artist planted with a friend in 2011 ldquoThe ship also had Portuguese coins to signify the colonial lootrdquo the artist informsParag Tandel works on a sculpture at his studio in ThaneOn March 17 art community Art and Wonderment will step into the Koli artistrsquos creative headspace as they walk through his studio and witness Tandel at work ldquoOften people wish to engage with art and either donrsquot have company or feel intimidated by the artrdquo says Art and Wonderment cofounder Nishita Zachariah ldquoWe often host walks to galleries that are conversational and lighthearted We do our research and demystify the artworks for them Our studio visits take it a step further and allow participants to further break the barriers and connect with the artist witness them at work and let them see the many trials and errors before the finished works are displayed in the galleriesrdquoA sculpture by Tandel currently on display at Indian Ceramics Triennale exhibition in New DelhiZachariah will conduct the fourhourlong walk with cofounder Alisha Sadikot This visit is an extension of the ongoing Indian Ceramics Triennale exhibition in Delhi where some of Tandelrsquos works are currently on display The participants will begin with a studio visit in Thane followed by a traditional Koli lunch prepared by Tandelrsquos mother Kamal Kashinath Tandel and his wife Kadambari KoliTandel The group will then return to the studio to learn more about the Tandel Archive FundArrival of Port Wine 3 PIc courtesyTarq MumbaiAn art enthusiast who has been close to his community for as long as he can recall Tandel reminisces how he requested his father to shift him from a Convent school to a Koli school because he missed speaking in his mother tongue as a child ldquoI was always good at art and my parents didnrsquot mind me pursuing itKadambari KoliTandel and the artistAlthough once I told my mother that even if I take up art as a career I will never stop selling fish She replied saying that I still would be selling fish even though itrsquos in the form of artrdquo Tandel reminisces adding how this response stuck with him and inspires him to dig deeper into the history of the community ldquoI donrsquot use one specific material for my artworks For me the material is a metaphorrdquo he says explaining that his artworks are a blend of materials that reflect traditions food culture history and religion of the KolisA traditional homecooked Koli mealldquoNot many are aware that creating illustrations is my hobby I will show the participants my sketchbook during the walkrdquo Tandel reveals He will also talk about how Koli food in festivals is becoming commercial gradually departing from the traditional food that they eat at home and an upcoming project on creating a food museum boasting of over 50 traditional Koli recipes Zachariah tells us that if time permits and participants are up to the task they will visit a nearby Koliwada with Tandel and learn stories from his childhoodAn artwork by TandelOn March 17 11 am to 4 pm at Parag Tandelrsquos Studio Kalva ThaneCost Rs 1200 Rs 1600 including lunchLog on to urbanautapp for registration artandwonderment for more details