Cor de Goa 1997

Curator: The first thing that strikes me is the pastel palette. It gives the entire scene this hazy, almost dreamlike quality. Editor: Indeed! Here we have Julio Resende’s “Cor de Goa,” created in 1997. It’s an ink, pastel and watercolor drawing depicting two figures in what appears to be a domestic setting. I'm particularly drawn to the use of ink, as it introduces an element of line and form into this field of color. Curator: For me, it’s a snapshot, capturing the quiet intimacy of daily life. Look at how the colors bleed together; it’s more impression than direct representation. There's a softness here that speaks to the unhurried pace, perhaps a nostalgic lens through which Goa is remembered. Editor: Perhaps a memory palace crafted through hues and tones. Considering Goa's history as a Portuguese colony, this drawing feels ripe with layered symbolism. The women could be seen as embodiments of the region's complex cultural identity—caught between tradition and modernity. The clothesline, bearing the weight of what seems like domestic work, might represent those ties. Curator: Yes! And look at how the figures blend into the background—they’re part of the landscape itself. They echo the colors. They are both figures within the work and integrated figures of the work itself. There's no hard separation here. Editor: That fluidity could mirror the fluidity of Goan identity—constantly shifting, reforming, as traditions interact. Even the palm tree rendered loosely in scribbled green could function as a symbol of place, deeply rooted and yet subject to environmental change. Curator: It all reads as memory. It is deeply personal and yet resonates so powerfully with a collective sense of time and place. It’s this merging of personal recollection with broad cultural markers that really resonates, allowing viewers to form their own associations. Editor: Agreed. "Cor de Goa" provides a compelling example of how materials can transform an image into a tapestry of culture. What lingers is how a space remembers—in light and shadow, color and line.