When you have a neighbour who is good at art, drawing and craft, you know for sure that your school assignments will get an artistic touch!
For many such neighbours, Harun Robert, or Rob as he is popularly known, was that saviour who would lend a helping hand to all those who needed help with their projects.
He wasn’t just a friendly face next door. It was more like having a personal genie to do all things artistic – and school projects were no longer difficult, but transformed into pieces of art.
In a chat with Gomantak Times Digital, Rob talks about his life here in Goa, the series on Stones Cards from Goa, future plans and much more.
FROM BOMBAY TO GOA
Sometimes, the hustle and bustle of a metro city can grow on you, but after a while you start craving that peace and quiet. This is exactly what happened to Rob, who still loves Mumbai, but also needed a slice of peace.
“When I was working in Mumbai, every time I got a break, I would come here. Everything was so amazing; it was relaxing and I could recoup in a way. Goa was my go-to place. I loved Goa so much that I married a local, and then moved here. It’s been six long years now,” says Rob with a sigh of contentment.
Although he still hasn’t learnt to speak Konkani, he understands the language, and loves the food here.
He says, “Goa has grown on me. I love to spend time enjoying local food at small joints by the rivers; eating Cafreal and Sorpotel is something I’m very fond of. But, at home we generally eat a lot of home-cooked meals.”
About feeling more like a local by day, he has a set daily routine. He says, “It’s all based on which side of the bed I wake up! But, I love to start my day with exercising or cycling, followed by work. And, in the evening, I love to disconnect with work and spend time with my family.”
STONE CARDS FROM GOA
On one of Rob’s cycle expeditions in Goa, in 2023, he wanted to capture the beauty of Goa, but he had no art supplies with him. So, what did he do in such a situation?
Rob says, “I saw a lot of pebbles and decided to put my art on them. People like to go to the regular spots, like beaches, but when you travel through villages, there is a lot of beauty and nature. Why not showcase this to my viewers?" says Rob.
I was very particular about the materials I was using – like plastic, bottles, cardboard, newspaper – I preferred to use things which were easily available in the house, so that parents didn’t have to buy new items.
Artist Harun Robert, aka Rob
"I would then carry my markers, paint and keep the pebbles there for people to collect them. That’s how Stone Cards from Goa came about,” says Rob.
He says he did a similar project in Jaisalmer, too, and hence has taken the Stone Card series to other cities, as well.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD KNIGHT TO THE RESCUE
Earlier, when sites like Pinterest and Google were unheard of, parents and kids would gather a lot of creative ideas from watching Rob’s TV show, M.A.D., to help complete their assignments, and this creativity would always bring them extra marks.
“I was very particular about the materials I was using – like plastic, bottles, cardboard, newspaper – I preferred to use things which were easily available in the house, so that parents didn’t have to buy new items.”
After his gig with Pogo’s DIY program, M.A.D., Rob became the country’s most popular DIY icon. “Most kids didn't know me as Rob, but they would call out to me as 'MAD' or 'POGO', and I would always respond,” he laughs.
Having a neighbour or a friend, like Rob, meant acing in art and craft class, and although he loved to help his buddies with their work, Rob did once get in a bit of a soup, when one of his neighbour’s won a poster-making competition and was selected to participate in the main competition.
Little did the teachers know that the poster was actually Rob’s handiwork.
“She was supposed to paint in front of the judges at the main competition! And there, she admitted that the painting was done by me and I got an earful from the teachers!” he chuckles.
A BOOK TO INSPIRE
He is currently working on a personal project of putting a book together.
“During the pandemic, I saw how art helped a lot of people get through a trying time – it was therapeutic. So, I decided to put a book together, which will help and encourage people to draw, doodle and create magic through art,” says Rob as he signs out.