Born on 26th August 1959 in Goa, Subodh Kerkar gave up his medical profession in 1990 to pursue his passion for art, developing a practice that spans installations, sculptures, multimedia works, performances, paintings, and drawings. As the founding director of the Museum of Goa and the holder of the Mario Miranda Chair for Arts at Goa University, Subodh’s work is a powerful commentary on social, political, and religious issues, often narrated through contemporary visual idioms. A significant aspect of his artistic journey has been his commitment to working with diverse materials, particularly recycled elements such as discarded plastic bottles, beer and soft drink cans, fragments of old wooden boats, scrap materials from shipyards, and remnants from other manufacturing processes, as well as recycled tyres.
About a decade ago, while strolling through a market in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, he discovered a shop selling products made from discarded tyres. This moment sparked his interest in the creative potential of recycled rubber. Without any specific plan, he purchased tyre strips and sheets originally repurposed for baskets and footwear. Inspired by the resilience of tyres and the way camel soles wear out on the roads of Rajasthan, he began creating sculptures, including a camel’s foot made from rubber. Since then, Subodh has continued to explore recycled tyre material in his work, and he envisions an ambitious project—an entire room made from recycled tyres. Subodh is the founding director of Museum of Goa (MOG). Presently he is the holder of the Mario Miranda Chair for Arts, under the Visiting Research Professorship Programme (VRPP) at Goa University.
Artworks
In addition to ”The Flying Carpet on a Hanger,” Subodh Kerkar has also used recycled tyre material in combination with fibreglass to create a variety of remarkable artworks. Below are some examples of his artworks.
Find more Artworks HERE
Chillies
No other commodity imported to India has affected the life of Indians as much as chillies. It is unlikely that there is any Indian who has not tasted chillies. Indian cuisine used pepper and other spices until chillies arrived in Goa on a Portuguese caravel coming from Brazil in the early 16th century. The first mention of chillies in Indian literature is in a poem by the South Indian composer and saint poet Purandaradasa, written in 1560’s. The poem states:
I saw you green Then turning red as you ripened
Nice to look at and tasty in the dish
Enhancer of good food
And when I eat you
Even to think of Vithala is difficult!
Miles of Laughter – Hasya
The sculpture is created with children’s bicycle tyres. When a child learns to ride a bicycle for the first time, a number of feelings get on to the bicycle. The child is amazed that it can balance and bursts out into spontaneous laughter of joy. My sculpture celebrates miles of laughter of many children riding bicycles. The sculpture of the laughing boy incorporates a florescent pink bubble of joy, mounted on the nose. Playfulness has always been a part of my works.
Karimeen
‘Karimeen’ is the state fish of Kerala. It is also very popular in Goa. My work celebrates the great passion the people of coastal India share about fish. The fish is such an integral part of Goan lifestyle that when two Goan men meet, ‘Fish’ is usually the topic of their conversation.
