Protest Artist

by Prasad Abu Bakr

He first showed his work in 1974 at the Samudra Gallery, which was a part of the Hotel Samudra where stands Hotel Taj Samudra today. Since that first move the artist has exhibited a mere 5 times in a span of 33 years. which may appear to look like a life time to many artist's of today because today many tend to show their work more often than they can afford to.

Afford, meaning! That they show their work come what may. But to an artist of Colvin's calibre he would think twice before he set out on the idea of making his work go public, for the simple reason that most of his work is an extension of his very inner feelings.

He is an artist who never piled work in a hurry with an idea of having one exhibition after another annually. Beside showing his work 6 times in Colombo the artist had exhibited once in Singapore.

Colvin's work beside being exhibited as paintings were also popularised at one time as work of art through the medium of handmade batik. It was a popular note at the time and his work travelled the world under the branding of Buddhi Batiks which had its products well place in the world of fine arts throughout western capitals.

The artist always maintained a certain sense of style that he hardly wavered from throughout his career. A soft spoken, mild mannered introvert Colvin always used his medium to make his strongest statements against any injustice that he observed metered out in society.

In fact all his innermost feelings be it happiness, pain or tragedy it all appeared on his canvas' making Colvins paint brush a tool that expressed not only the artists inner most thoughts but also his attitude towards the world that surrounded him, especially of injustices faced by the underprivileged beings of society.

If one ever knew the artist and his work for long enough to compare notes one would feel that Colvin's paintings too depict much of the artist himself within them. Well composed and undisturbed.

Paintings by Artist Colvin Settinayake at the National Art Gallery 22nd - 24th April 9.00 am - 6.00 pm daily.