The beginning of December brought a whiff of the sun, sand and sea to nostalgic Mumbaikars. Be it music, poetry, painting, sculpture or embroidery, the tropical paradise that is the year-end getaway for city slickers has been nourishing the arts as much as it nourishes the hearts of its visitors. Impressed by the redoubtable creative talent of Goan artists, who have imbibed the best of Portuguese influences and integrated them into their indigenous heritage, Pravina Mecklai of Jamaat unveiled GoaGoaGoa: a group show featuring three brilliant Goan artists and their varied art forms. Three cheers to Verodina Ferrao, Liesl Cotta de Souza and Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal - each of them excelling in distinct art practices, but all of them rooted to their native land!

The earthy feel of terracotta captivated Ferrao years ago and her early experiments in sculpture attracted the attention of fashion designer and art impresario Wendell Rodericks - who has carved a niche for himself in the lively world of haute couture while living in sosegado Goa. He lost no time in spreading the excitement of his find...and today she acknowledges his contribution to her success with a winning smile. Her long, languid figures of women and men in different postures...sitting, reclining, reading, talking, or indulging in other everyday activities...are moulded by hand, then fired, before she adds her finishing touches to the surface. The many outdoor installations she has done all over the world have added more feathers to her already colourful cap.

In complete contrast to the computer-generated art that has gripped the fancy of many young artists, de Souza works in a medium that is a dying art. Painstakingly embroidered with silk thread on fabric, she creates beautiful compositions of village women doing mundane tasks. Her workmanship is unbelievable - creating figures with such expressive forms and backgrounds that are so richly worked, that it is difficult to believe they are not paintings. As for Sabharwal, she employs bright colours in acrylic on canvas to capture the playfulness of the divine Ganesha who is venerated by Hindus all over Goa.

Art aficionados, Ritu Jain and Ishi Jami, are deeply involved with the promotion of art and artists from around the world. The Shanghai-based women - incidentally Ritu is from India and Ishi is from Pakistan - forged this unique bond that transcends concerns of business a few years ago, when they met in the metropolis.

After a well-appreciated exhibition of Chinese art in New Delhi, last year, the enterprising art-lovers took Pakistani art to Hong Kong last month - with artists like Ismail Gulgee, Ghulam Rasool, Mansur Rahi, Eqbal Mehdi and Hajra Mansur, to name but a few. Earlier this year, they had showcased art from across the border in India and the event had been inaugurated by H.E. Aziz Ahmad Khan, the High Commissioner of Pakistan and Dr Amit Mitra, Secretary General of FICCI.

Now, they are "concentrating on promoting contemporary art from Pakistan, so as to give the artists the global recognition they so rightfully deserve," says Jain. "I was introduced to Pakistani art through Ishi and it is then that we realised how little is known about the amazing artwork being done across the border from India. It is relatively unknown, internationally. That's where we come in. In our own humble way, we are trying to give the artists based in Pakistan an international exposure. We want the world to see the work being created by not only the senior, established artists but also the very talented youngsters."

Contemporary Pakistani art, they feel, reflects images of an evolving nation, faced with the challenges of transition. There is a lot of 'Realism' here as it depicts the reality of lived experiences. "A number of artists have allowed their work to be liberally influenced by Western methods with vivid colours, expressive brush-strokes and gestural images characterise their works. On the other hand there are those that have dug into their heritage and experimented with cultural texts and Islamic calligraphy to express their vision."

The two women are completely in sync as far as their work is concerned. Personal tastes? "We do have our special preferences…Ishi for landscapes while I go for the figurative style," says Jain.