Hand-painted Tiles

The wind hugged us tight as our bikes rode along the serpentine roads. Swaying trees, calm lakes and pleasantly smiling fisherwomen pass us by. An hour later, we reach the dainty production unit in Goa, where blue and white hand-painted tiles greet us artfully at the entrance. With an obvious childlike excitement, and an unwillingness to mask it, we walk into the artists’ world of hues.

The art of hand-painted tiles was introduced in Goa centuries back by the Portuguese. The art soon intertwined itself with the local architecture and is often seen adorning church interiors, name plates at homes and hotel entrances.

According to the Goan state department for handicrafts, this art form was abolished in the 1960s, and was later revived by a few local artists in the late 1990s. Interestingly, the Goa government recently applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for this art form. (A GI tag certifies that the product has a specific geographical origin.)

While traditionally the tiles were painted in blue and white, with time, artists eventually added a burst of colours and introduced contemporary designs. Notably, Mario Miranda inspired designs made their way to these hand-painted tiles.

Unlike the typicality of a noisy and busy workshop, the place is enveloped in its quiet surroundings, interrupted occasionally by the chirping of birds. It has a peaceful, susegad-ish feel to it. The workshop is small and tidy – rather minimalistic. The artists’ tables are colourfully marked with paint sloshes and littered with paint bottles and palettes. In a tiny space below, all the tiles are stacked alongside the off-white walls. The wall’s peeling paints struck a certain irony.

We're taken around the workshop to watch the artists at work. First, a plain ceramic tile is first wiped clean, then glazed (covered in a base coat of white) and set to dry.

Typically, the outlines of the painting are then draw in pencil or charcoal. Increasingly though, the outlines are being screen-printed. The paints are spread out, brushes are dipped and the bright white tiles slowly wear layers of colour. The paints are made of glass powder and do not fade over time.

The tiles are allowed to dry for a while, and then moved to a furnace. They are baked for 6-7 hours in the furnace at a temperature of over 1000 degrees centigrade. This allows the paint to fuse permanently with the ceramic surface, and also gives a glossy finish to the tile.

Our tryst with the artists comes to a gradual and pleasing end with an aromatic cup of chai, while melodious old-school Konkani music graces itself in the background. We take our time to pick our hand-painted tiles, bid adieu to the artists, and head out to soak up the Goan sun, sand and spirits. Afterall, it's all about mixing business with pleasure for us. Goa demanded that from us, and so, we kindly obliged.