The comic chronicler | Celebrating Mario Miranda at Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts

Few artists have captured the pulse of India like the beloved cartoonist Mario Miranda. Way before memes and social media, Miranda was sketching out the chaos of daily life with sharp humour and an eye for detail. Be it packed Bombay trains, buzzing cafes, nosy neighbours or those quintessential Goan types; generations grew up with his iconic characters like Miss Fonseca and Miss Nimbupani.

On his birth centenary, Goa is paying tribute to the artist and his universe. Growing Up in Mario’s World, an exhibition at the Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, brings together a rich repository of works spanning Miranda’s career. Rare sketches, European illustrations from the 1950s and iconic magazine works feature in the exhibition curated from the collection of Shaun Nicholas Lobo, whose late father Ronnie spent years building an archive of Miranda’s art and memorabilia.

Visitors can also explore archival photographs, letters and printed ephemera that offer a glimpse into the artist’s life and creative evolution. “Miranda had the ability to observe the world with warmth, precision and gentle irreverence. Through his drawings, he chronicled the social life of Goa, Mumbai and other places, revealing the humour, contradictions, and rhythms of everyday life,” says Dattaraj V. Salgaocar, chairman of Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts.

“In addition to the generations that have grown up with Mario’s cartoons, the exhibition has seen a huge interest from younger audiences. Many works on display showcase Mrio in the 1960s, which adds a completely new dimension to the artist,” adds Lobo.

A limited-edition anthology, Growing Up with Mario, edited by Lobo, has also been launched. The exhibition will conclude with a live performance by the traditional Goanese brass band Azavedo.

—The exhibition is on view till June 28 art