Vamona Ananta Sinai Navelcar (5 May 1930 – 18 October 2021) was a Portuguese artist who studied and worked in Portugal, Mozambique, and Goa.

He is considered a "prolific master of line" with a specialisation in murals and bas-relief composed of metallic, wooden and glass structures and his works form part of private and museum collections worldwide.

[5] Returning to Goa, he secured a job with the Chowgule Company as an accountant and continued to produce his art work in his spare time, which was noticed and admired by his colleagues.

After being asked by Mr Chowgule, the owner of the company, to do some portraits of dignitaries of the time, including Paulo Bénard Guedes, who was the Governor-General of Portuguese India in 1953, his work was noticed.

His relationship with his teachers and their assistants was also not good as they seemed to resent his talent and knowledge, though the professors and directors of the institution liked and admired his work.

The political changes at that time caused great difficulty for Navelcar as he lost his grant to study just six months before he was due to graduate because he would not sign a document denouncing Nehru's Liberation of Goa.

However, on his arrival, the overseas director, Dr Oliveira Boléo told Navelcar that he would be posted to the technical school in Quelimane.

[4][6] Time went by with many rewards and achievements in his art, expanding his talent and trying out new techniques including collages, ceramics, sculptures in metal, wood and other materials.

On 25 April 1974 there was a military coup in Portugal called the Carnation Revolution, coupled with much civil unrest which toppled the dictatorial Estado Novo regime.

They were all held here for eighty one days until they were released on 23 January 1976 after the intervention of Armando Panguene, the newly appointed Provincial Governor in Nampula.

The commander of the camp agreed in most cases to Navelcar's requests, so in that manner he was able to help his students, particularly the girls, to avoid the hard physical work in the fields.

Navelcar and his students were released in January 1976 with a convoy of police and parents arriving to bring them all safely back to Nampula.

Navelcar managed to secure a pension from the Government of 60% of his last salary form Mozambique, but with escalating prices and turmoil, times were very hard indeed.

Eventually, after seven years back in Portugal with no prospect of work or people having spare money for the luxuries of purchasing paintings, Navelcar decided to return to Goa.

As part of the celebrations, the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa was presented with a portrait of Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, painted by Navelcar.

[11] A Retrospective exhibition was held in Portugal from June to October 2012 curated by Vamona's long standing friend and admirer, Professor Antonino Martins Mendes.

[5] On 1 May 2017, an exhibition celebrating his life and work called "The Great Goan Art Festival" was organized by Marius Fernandes at Campal in Panaji.

[14][15] As of January 2013, retired aeronautical engineer and UK expat Anne Ketteringham has completed her book in conjunction with VS Arts, to be published on the life and work of Vamona Navelcar.

[17] Navelcar is the subject of a 2019 documentary on his life titled I am nothing with Ronak Kamat directing it and sound editing by Ashley Fernandes.