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| Sunday, 8 December 2002 |
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Exhibition on Dec. 12 : A lawyers perspective of human life and nature Exhibition of oil paintings by Geethanjali Ranamukarachchi at the Alliance Francaise of Colombo from December 12-16.
People are fascinating. People are complex. The myriad moods of people of varied ages and varied walks of life as seen through the eyes of an artist and a lawyer, a student of human behaviour is something unique. Such an experience will be shared with lovers of art and those interested in issues pertaining to human life and nature, by Geethanjali Ranamukarachchi, an artist and lawyer who hails from Kandy. Geethanjali or Geethi as she is better known, will hold her third exhibition of paintings at the alliance Francaise of Colombo from December 12-16. Geethi's subjects are mostly people, men and women, old and young, boys and girls, babies.... These people are depicted against natural surroundings, urban and rural. The rustic beauty of nature brought out using the subtle hues that nature alone has created provides the backdrop for the people that Geethi has captured on canvas. Sometimes Geethi's recent paintings of nature too will be exhibited at her forthcoming exhibition.
Geethi's exhibition follows her stay spent in the United Kingdom. During her stay in England, Geethi embarked on her Master's in law at the De Montfort University, Leicestershire. She specialised in Commercial Law. "Britain has considerably amended her Commercial Laws to suit her current trading patterns. Sri Lankan Commercial Law is mainly based on British Law and the entire course I followed was a very rich experience for me", she exclaims. Before leaving England, Geethi held several senior positions dealing with law in leading financial institutions in Sri Lanka. With the wealth of experience gained in England and the additional qualifications she has acquired, Geethi is now on the lookout for a post where she can face professional challenges relating to Commercial law. Irrespective of whatever post she has held, Geethi has always stayed in touch with art. Painting has always been her hobby and an integral part of her life. In England too Geethi took advantage of the opportunity to enhance her knowledge in art. "I made it a point to use every minute I could spare to visit the art galleries and museums and study the ancient and contemporary paintings. The types of paintings I admire were not too rare to see in England, even in the small town of Hexman, where we lived. Even though the artiste of the ancient paintings were long since dead, their minds and lifestyles were still fresh and conspicuous in the paintings they had done", states Geethi. Referring to her own skills as an artist, Geethi acknowledges with gratitude her childhood art teacher, Mrs. Kumari Niyangoda, a highly respected Art teacher at Mahamaya College, Kandy. Geethi said that Mrs. Niyangoda spotted her talent at a young age and guided and inspired her. Geethi also acknowledges the support she receives from her husband, Dr. Sarath Ranamukarchchi who has motivated her to strive towards greater heights in the fields of art and law. Commenting on Geethi's work, George Keyt has maintained that "She is definitely gifted; and alone and untutored and away from this atmosphere required for an artist, she has found joy in attempting to be an artist. Her work has a finesse and innocent charm and is beautifully feminine". - Manique Mendis ################ Shadows of nature 2002 The Young Zoologists' Association of Sri Lanka founded in 1972 by Lyn
de Alwis, the world renowned academic and nature lover, who Over the past 30 years, YZA has carefully sculptured thousands of practical conservationists out of the reckless youth. The Young Zoologists' are going to exhibit their collection of around 100 wildlife and nature paintings at the National Art Gallery today. ################ The Ritual brought honour to Lanka in Bangalore Ritual - conformity, rebellion, suspicion, violence and gossip. The
complicated lifestyles of simple folk, intricately woven in ritual. That's
what it depicts.
Critics of Bangalore, India found it "though set in rural Sri Lanka, not a world you are familiar with, nevertheless makes you take part in its cosmos and stirs interest in its characters and asks you to wonder about what makes up the way we are, and are not." 'The Ritual' an effort of CentreStage Productions, an amateur theatre troupe formed by Jehan Aloysius brought honour to Sri Lanka, being selected the opening act of the premier StageRite Festival, at Bangalore, India. 'The Ritual' is the result of his "initial collaboration with the International Playwrights' Residency in 2001, organised by the Royal Court Theatre of London in conjunction with the Artists' Repertory Theatre (ART)of Bangalore and British Council" says Jehan, the director. It was one of the nine scripts written at the Playwrights Residency a workshop by ART early 2001, selected as a work-in-progress at International Directors Residency workshop later in the year. Out of the nine plays, seven were selected to be staged at the StageRite Festival. The Ritual is "an experimentation with integrating local religio-cultural ritual mask theatre, such as traditional Kolam and Thovil, with modern secular drama" says Jehan who is thankful to the academic staff of the Sinhala Department of the Colombo University for their input. The play, first staged as excerpts at the Directors' Residency workshop in Bangalore as a truly international production with a Sri Lankan playwright, Bangladesh Director and Indian cast was later staged at the British Council garden Colombo in Kolam style, and at British Council Kandy as a semi-outdoor product. The Ritual also boasts a cast of prominent personalities from the English theatre such as Tracy Holsinger, Avanti Perera and Anushka Pereira and includes Bryce Kern, Ranga Sovis, Keith De Silva, Shanil Jayamana and Michael Jayawardana. Thushan Dias and Alain Casper provide light and sound respectively while Ishan Akhry Ameer manages the stage. The playwright/director/actor Jehan Aloysius is also a well known theatre personality involved in the English and Sinhala theatre over the last 10 years. As an actor he has been linked with leading theatre groups such as The Workshop Players, Stage light and magic, The Performing Arts Company and The Creative Art Foundation. His play, The Music Box was produced by the University of Colombo and a collection of his plays, titled The Screaming Mind, was short-listed for the Gratiaen Award, 2001. ################ International conductor for Symphony Christmas concerts The distinguished conductor Gregory Rose arrived from London last weekend and started rehearsals as guest conductor with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka for their two Christmas concerts. In an extensive international career Gregory Rose has conducted over 100 premieres of orchestral, choral and ensemble music throughout Western and Eastern Europe. He has received many accolades such as stylish and gifted conductor (Tempo), highly professional (Financial Times), Gregory Rose's expert direction (The Gramophone). Gregory Rose will conduct the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka and Chorus in their Family Christmas Concert on December 12. The programme will feature popular carols for choir and audience and several songs performed by the young tenor Asitha Tennekoon, including Schubert's Ave Maria and Adams' Holy City . The concert will conclude with choruses from Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. The principal sponsor is Link Natural Products. In SOSL's Christmas Symphony Concert on December 14 Gregory Rose will conduct Rossini's Tancredi Overture, Elgar's much loved Cello Concerto with Tamara Holsinger as soloist, Mozart's brilliantly tuneful Violin Concerto No. 5 with Neela de Fonseka, and a more extensive selection of choruses from Bach's Christmas Oratorio. The principal sponsor is Standard Chartered Bank. Gregory Rose's visit to Sri Lanka is sponsored by The Golden Key Credit Card Company. The TV sponsor is ETV. The concerts will be at Ladies' College and the Box Office is at Titus Stores Liberty Plaza. ################ Annual photographic exhibition The annual photographic exhibition of the National Association of Photographers will be opened by Media Minister, Imtiaz Bakeer Markar on December 10 at the National Art Gallery. This photograph won the first prize in the student/open/digital section. The exhibition will be open to the public on December 10, 11 and 12. ################ Exhibition An exhibition of paintings by Chandana Ranaweera will be held at the Alliance Francaise de Kandy on December 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The artist has held many exhibitions and his themes revolve around religion. |
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was then the
Director of Department of National Zoological Gardens. YZA was expected to
fill a large deficit, which existed in the field of nature conservation,
viz. the lack of population of energetic and creative youth armed with
extensive knowledge on principles and applications of ecology and natural
science.
