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| Sunday, 14 December 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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S. H. Sarath celebrates his 44th solo exhibition at his home converted into an art gallery by Jayanthi Liyanage
Sarath Chitra Samadhi is but another plateau for S.H. Sarath in his illustrious, multi-layered career. For Sarath, who is undoubtedly one of the longest-running artists in Sri Lanka, the current exhibition of paintings which began on December 5 and will continue until 23 at the Artists' Gallery in Nugegoda, marks his 44th solo display. "When the month is over, I will enter my 30th year in exhibitions," reflects Sarath on a time span which has seasoned him to be among the handful of local artists who have held the most number of solo and group exhibitions within the country and outside in countries such as Brazil, India, Thailand, U.K., Malaysia, Bangladesh, Germany, Japan, Yugoslavia, Korea, Cuba, Bulgaria, Norway and Australia. Sarath can unhesitatingly be called a painter of social vision. The reviews he has earned, specially from the art lovers overseas, note his multi-religious philosophy and social consciousness which clearly comes across his thick, staccatoed brush strokes, a speciality seen in Sarath's paintings. In the passing year, his works were exhibited at the Print Making Exhibition of world artists in France.
"The average Sri Lankan today has no leisure or economic means to contemplate on art," comments Sarath on the manner in which, over the years, the multiplying channels of TV and radio and the nightly teledrama has replaced art enjoyment as a leisure-pursuit of modern young people. "In the seventies, we had more audiences than now at art galleries. In that era, every evening we had people coming to art events," he remembers. "Nowadays specially in festivity times like this, the masses seek sales, rather than seeking artists." Day-to-day economic struggles have prevented the masses from evolving into the art connoisseurs seen in Europe, muses Sarath. "Yet some local households have converted their interiors to domestic art galleries where one could enjoy tea while enjoying art." He welcomes this as a trend which is encouraging for the development of both art and artists of Sri Lanka. ################# Glimpses of Sri Lanka
On display at the Alliance France de Colombo till tomorrow, the paintings offer a refreshingly simple look at life in rustic Sri Lanka, that is both enchanting and evocative. Captured in simple lines with a judicious blending of shades are thatch-roofed cottages in ethereal settings, orange-tinged sunsets and fishermen straggling home with their day's catch, farmers tilling their fields for the next season's harvest, snake charmers, tinkers, dancers.... ordinary, every day scenes transformed into something magical and mystical by an artist who sees beauty in simplicity and for whom the 'ordinary' is often the unique. The paintings, all done in watercolours are truly 'glimpses' of Sri Lanka. For, much of what Hewawitarne has captured so vividly on canvas, belong to a lifestyle that is fast being replaced by high speed living with push button comforts and modern convenience. We hardly see snake charmers today or amidst the asbestos revolution, thatch-roofed cottages, even in the villages. But Hewawitarne, in a style that is uncluttered and could easily be described as 'minimalistic' uses few lines and pleasing shades to bring to vivid life the enchantment of 'simple living'. And perhaps also remind us of what's being lost in our quest for materialism.A versatile artist, Hewawitarne who plans to concentrate on caricatures for his next solo venture, tried his hand at black and white sketches using Indian ink, graduated into wider techniques and dabbled with poster painting, scraper boardwork (done on a hard black board on which the object, already outlined is scraped) and cartoons before settling for watercolours as his chosen media. He describes watercolours as a 'highly expressive form of art that is both exciting and enjoyable'. Displaying a childlike enthusiasm at his work, he says a watercolour artist is capable of capturing the glories of nature with its varying shades of light and dark and the in between misty shades with a few strokes of the brush. That this is not a wild boast is amply demonstrated at the exhibition, which is his third solo effort in Sri Lanka. He has held several international exhibitions in Munster, West Germany and in Bahrain, where he was employed as an advertising executive until last year. If watercolour is his media, 'people and life around him' are his subject. He portrays the commonplace and the unique with equal fervour, saying somewhat unabashedly that he draws sustenance from aspirations, hardships and events of the men and women who come into his life. Versatile in his interests as he is in his art, Hewawitarne, who began his career as advertising artist that brought him a rich harvest of experience both in advertising agencies and newspapers here and abroad, also dabbles in drama and public speaking and was a member of the Manama Toastmasters' Club while in Bahrain. He also has his own company - T & S Productions - where he designs and prints seasonal greeting cards which are hugely popular in Sri Lanka and overseas. Tissa Hewawitarne's 'Glimpses of Sri Lanka' went on display at the Alliance France de Colombo on December 11, with veteran producer Dr. Lester James Peiris as the Chief Guest. ################# Sujeeva Hapugalle to perform at Lionel Wendt on Dec. 19
As such some of the works she has chosen for that evening will include Chopin's - Polonaise, Ballades, Granda Waltz and Scheizor, Liszt's - Concert Etudes (Forest Murmers) and Sonetto del Petrarca (Words and music). From Granados the Allegro di Concierto and Debussy's Pagodes. On the lighter side the music of Gershwin will be in focus and Sujeeva Hapugalle has selected song transcriptions of 'S Wonderful, 'I've got rhythm' and 'Someone to watch over me'. An award winning concert pianist Sujeeva Hapugalle has been highly acclaimed for her versatile presentations. Her recent concert tours have taken her to Europe, North America, the Middle East and to South America and South East Asia where she also conducted Master Classes. "In performance" says Sujeeva "music begins from silence and ends in silence ... creating a unique tension and presence. As a 'performer' I feel an inspired spirituality to be the soul, and then, with counterpoise of the rational and emotional ... have the joy of re-creating my study on a fresh canvas at each performance .... |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
From the banal to the singular.... veteran artist Tissa Hewawitarne
makes use of his marvellous talent with colours and contours to bring to
life some of Sri Lanka's familiar and fast fading images, in his latest
solo endeavour, 'Glimpses of Sri Lanka'.
Pianist Sujeeva Hapugalle is back home for a special performance at the
Lionel Wendt Theatre on Friday December 19 at 7.30 p.m. Her recital is
presented once again by Delmege Forsyth & Company and her programme
for the evening as she tells us "will explore a wide range of
emotions, moods, musical poetry and styles of the classical, romantic and
impressionistic composers".
