His present is thepast. And he keeps it alive by living the past by restoring it. Wheredoes he live? In the Churches of Goa, considering the time he spendsthere. Where does he work? Same answer. In his quiet painstaking way,Agnelo Fernandes, and his sons, have given all of us in Goa a giftthat no currency can ever value. The gift of this generation, seeingGoa’s most priceless possessions “ its churches, in the samegrandeur and finesse as their forefathers did.
Chances are that evenof you know which church he is in, on that day and make it, no onewill know where Agnelo is. Ask for Bico (pronounced Bic) instead.Smiles light up faces and eyes travel to where Bico is most likely tobe- working away on the walls, stones and other surfaces.
Why Bico? “Bico wasthe nickname given to my grandfather Caitano Francisco Fernandes whohad a beaky nose. Our family later adopted it,” says Agnelo. Helearned the art of restoring from his father Laurenco SantanoFernandes. Today, Bico’s sons carry forward this legacy ofconservation and restoration art at their workshop in Margao.
Agnelo’s sons,Nickson, 29 and Glen, 25 both fine art graduates work with him onprojects. Currently the trio is working on a project at the SantaMonica Chapel of Weeping Cross in Old Goa. It is expected to becompleted in 18 months.
Fundacao Oriente, acultural organization that uses the expertise of the trio restoredOur Lady of the Mount Chapel, in Old Goa, a 17th century place ofworship at the request of the Goa government. This chapel is aperfect example of an architectural style that is Goan.
“Fundacao sponsoredthis prestigious project that took 30 months. I did Grafito, Altarsand Panels and am grateful to Fundacao for their help in giving myskills the recognition it deserved” says Bico. The organizationsponsored his trip to Portugal in 1997 to help him gain exposure inthe advanced techniques of art restoration.
“In the Church ofLoutolim an original canvas painting of 1875 by my great grandfatherwas restored by my grandfather. At Mount Hill Nossa Senhora dePiedade Chapel my grandfather restored the canvas painting andstatues,” said Nickson.
They import paints,pigments, varnish and mixes from Portugal, Italy and Brazil. “Weuse genuine Italian gold from Portugal. Even the ‘masse’ isexpensive. These materials make our cost slightly expensive” admitsAgnelo who initially faced a tough time convincing people to valuehis art”, adds the proud GenX, Nickson.
For Bico, this isn’treally work or a path to living. It’s a journey he is ordained for.For all of us who love Churches for its beauty and grandeur, Bico isan angel in the home of the Lord.
