27th Death anniversary:

Manjusri leaves rich legacy of art

by Indeewara THILAKARATHNE and Ranga CHANDRARATHNE

Born in Alutgama 1902, LTP Manjusri's remarkable life is marked for its ups and downs and his immense scholastic brilliance. Having entered the Buddhist monastic order in 1915, Manjusri earned a name as a scholar in Sinhala, Pali and Buddhist philosophy. In 1932 he went to Shantiniketan to study Chinese and came under the influence of Nandala Bose. This resulted in turning his interest to art.

On return to Sri Lanka, he began copying documented temple paintings which subsequently became his life-long pursuit. He had the privilege of studying Buddhist iconography and Tibetan art at Guntok on the Tibetan border. Although he was a founder member of the famous 43 group, he departed from its tradition of surrealistic paintings to devise his own style based on Sri Lankan motifs.

He held his exhibitions of paintings in diverse parts of the globe including Smithsonian Institution where his works were exhibited in 1979. Manjusri wrote both in Sinhala and English specialising in the area of ancient and medieval art and temple paintings. Raising public awareness on the importance of preserving temple paintings was one of the major contributions made by Manjusri in preserving Sri Lankan art forms. He extensively researched and documented the temple paintings so that they could be studied by future scholars.

It should be mentioned here that LTP Manjusri, apart from being a brilliant painter, was also a scholar in Sinhala, Pali and Chinese. Those who closely associated with LTP Manjusri including the critic Benedict Dodampegama in an article on Manjusri stated that despite winning numerous accolades including the coveted Magsaysay Award, he remained a down -to-earth person with a remarkable wit until he breathed his last. Dodampegama stated that at the later stage of his life, when he was recognised specially for his contribution in copying and documenting temple paintings, he really did not care for the honours. Dodampegama noted this as a noble trait present in great personalities.

Over the years he had devised his own style of painting. This is amply manifested by his paintings. For instance, the painting titled 'Female Figure' shows, among other things, the artist's keen eye for details. White, green and yellow have been used as principal colours for the painting. The female figure is thin and in a way it embodies the traditional motifs of beauty. The yellowish background would invariably draw the attention to the female figure in the centre of the frame.The painting of the maiden is quite different from the previous painting.For this painting, the artist has used highly toned down red and the backdrop of the picture seems to be under the sea. The artist has skilfully depicted it by a large number of fishes. In fact, the maiden's garment resembles a coral reef. Here the artist has dexterously integrated minutest details under the sea into the painting. The maiden is depicted as if emerging from the sea bed. On her palm is an oyster which once again reminds us of the marine life.The painting of a Tibetan Buddhist monk is also an interesting painting on many accounts. In the first place, it demonstrates the artist's sheer power of observation and his ability to pick up symbols of culture such as a rosary hung on the monk, the Ola leaf book and the cassock. This is an abstract painting. His style is unique in the sense that he draws out figures.

Manjusri is best remembered for his singular contribution to art and especially preserving temple paintings for posterity.His daughter Manjista Manjusri and son Kusan Manjusri are not only preserving the proud tradition of their legendary father but also they are artists on their own right. They are as talented as their celebrated father and have a thorough grasp of the unique style of LTP Manjusri.