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| Sunday, 25 September 2005 |
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Features |  |
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Stunning, great or plain ordinary? "Stunning, great, amazing. They all look absolutely wonderful..." Would you too use all the positive adjectives in your vocabulary to describe the flags now fluttering in the breeze at the Galle Face Green, in celebration of the WOMAD festival of drums? Yes, perhaps you would, especially after you hear the stories behind them. This is how twenty-three-year-old Baduri Adikari, a final year student at the University of Moratuwa explains her flag which is really a "flag within a flag or rather a flag with a window on it. When the big flag which is heavy stays still, the small flag which is light, flutters in the wind. I wanted the wind to have the freedom to move through my flag". Dushyanthi Gamage, who is also from the University of Moratuwa says she wanted to use the Sri Lankan fonts on her flag against a yellow background (yellow being the dominant colour on our national flag) because she wanted to stamp "a Sri Lankan identity" on the international music arena through her creation. Sachith de Silva, a freelance designer says he had decided to have "araliya" on his flags which are in the shape of half-moons because he feels it's the best flower that represents Sri Lanka. Deviating from the conventional themes, is Sameera Macan Marker who laughs over her creation of two lovers under an umbrella and says she hopes her flag will add a little humour to the festival. Together with Marie Gananaraj and Preethi Hapuwatte from Barefoot and Champi Munidasa from the University of Visual Performing Arts, Hiranthi, Dushyanthi, Baduri, Sachith and Sameera have created the majority of the flags now fluttering in the breeze at the Galle Face Green. They are this year's participants of the artlink project organized by the British Council, the French Embassy, the Goethe Institut and the Vibhavy Academy of Fine Arts, with the objective of bringing together young, innovative amateur designers in the country and visual artists from abroad who are willing to cross the boundaries between culture, art, architecture and design. The workshop led by Angus Watt; a visual artist from UK, with Beatrice Dacher from France and Cora de Lang from Germany was held at Barefoot from 12th to 16th September where the flags now installed at the Galle Face Green were created. Explaining why she chose the figure which she describes as a "fish, a lizard, a ballerina" Cora de Lang says she was inspired by traditional Sri Lankan art, to create her flag. The colours black, white and red were used to evoke a striking response. Glad to be in Sri Lanka to take part in the artlink project Lang says she always sees herself in this "film" expressing her feelings, dreams and stories by painting. Beatrice Dacher who believes "painting makes it possible to connect with people and places, says she used the shape of Sri Lanka on her flags as a way of expressing her belief that the "strength which lies at the heart of different cultures and civilizations produce a personal and collective creativity". Answering the question, "Why flags?" Angus who is in Sri Lanka after his first visit eight years ago and who says he had quite forgotten how hot it is here, with over fifteen years experience in designing flags explains that flags are not as simple as they may seem to most of us. They have a history of more than 3000 years and have been used by tribes to establish their identity. "Flags have been used in wars as well as in celebrating special events, and flags work with music". Take a stroll down Galle Face green today, if you have not seen them already to check out if you too would use the same adjectives as quoted above upon seeing the flags created by the participants of this year's artlink project providing a stunning backdrop to WOMAD Sri Lanka 2005. - Aditha |
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