Signature of versatility in Chandana’s paintings

By Ranga CHANDRARATHNE

Chandana Ranaweera

Gona Pita Nagi Deviya

Hudakala Vu Deviya

The most striking feature of Chandana Ranaweera’s paintings is his disarming genuineness in expression. His brush strokes which make mosaics on the canvas are truly the innermost expression of Sri Lankan identity with particularly rural flavour. It was the spiritual nourishment together with unique Sri Lankan culture which makes Chandana’s painting special and unique even among Sri Lankan painters’ work. His forte seems to be in the line drawings with an omni- present influence of the moon on almost all of his paintings. He loves painting under the soothing moonlight using light colours which in a particular way depicts the indomitable personality of the artist himself. His preferred media are collage and line drawings.

Examining his early paintings, one may arrive at the conclusion that Chandana had obviously been influenced particularly by line drawings.

Contrasting to his subsequent paintings, Chandana has used dark colours for the paintings. Colours such as red, blue and yellow are prominent. For instance, Chandana has used dark colours for ‘Vesmuna’ (The Mask); blue, red and yellow have been used to make a blurred smug of a mask. In a symbolic context, Chandana has depicted the quintessential characteristics of a mask; the wide open mouth, potholes like eyes and the protruding nose.

However, he has exercised care not to reveal the identity of the devil so that it becomes a common symbol of devil’s mask. The “Nelum Vila “(Lotus Pond) which was also one of his early paintings, shows the same maturity as the Vesmuna. Primarily the painter has used blue and red for the painting. Blue has been used to indicate the water while red has been used to depict the lotus. Obviously the influence of line drawing is manifested in both paintings.

“Nai Natawanna:” (Snake Charmer) which also belongs to early paintings, however, is different from previous creations. Here the drawing assumes an abstract nature. The snake as well as the snake charmer is blurred. As if through a fog, that one can see the snake, snake charmer and the men by his side. Red, pink and black have been used for the paintings. Once again the artist has made it a point not to make the painting a common portrait of a snake charmer.

It is a common sight in village fairs that snake charmers display the snakes in public. On Some instances, snake charmers happen to be indigenous drug sellers and on others they happen to be snake charmers in the gypsy community. The sheer abstract nature of the drawing-has-made it a universal, experience.

The subsequent paintings such as ‘Buddha Sarasili’ (Buddhist Decorations -2000), ‘Gona Pita Nagi Deviya’ (The God on the Bull-2003) and ‘Hudakala Vu Deviya’ (The God in isolation -2003) are different and perhaps, mark a departure from the earlier practice. For instance in Buddha Sarasili’, the artist has used yellow as the primary colour of the background of the figures. Symbolism such as writing on the stone tablets and Sandakada Pahana (crescent-like decoration) which is a prominent feature of Buddhist sculptures in the Anuradhapura era has been used.

The painting, “Gona Pita Nagi Deviya”, in a way, is satirical. Here the painter has used dark colours as yellow. The god who got on top of the bull holds a trident in his hand. The trident is a mythical weapons of power in Hindu mythology. The figure of god in ‘Hudakala Vue Deviya’ is, apparently dedicated to god. However, the surrounding is covered with weeds which indicate that the god has been abandoned or the temple has been neglected by the devotees. For this painting, the artist has used yellow, green and red.

Compared to the earlier creations, one can observe a change of style and obviously the artist has been influenced by contemporary trends in paintings. However, even at this latter stage of paintings, one of the prominent features of the painting is the use of dark colours. For instance, red and yellow have been prominently used in the paintings. Figures of the god have been used in some paintings, sometimes, taken out of traditional temple atmosphere. For instance, in the painting “Gona Pita Nagi Deviya”, the much venerated god is on top of a bull. Although holding a trident, the figure of god is not in a venerated position. In fact, God is in a hilarious position. Dark colours have been used for the painting.

Chandana’s contemporary paintings like line drawings reflect a different trend. It is a complete departure from the previous creations. For them light colours have been used. The painting “Trees” which is a line drawing, yellow has been used. Under the soothing light of the moon, the artist has captured the trees bathed in moon light. Paintings “Flower Pickers”, “The Coconut Oil Lamp “and “Sitar Players”, colours have been used sparingly. For instance, in the painting “Flower pickers”, blue, green and red have been used judiciously. The two women flower pickers are depicted in green and red.

Techniques of line drawings have been generously used. “Sitar players” is also an example where the artist has extensively employed techniques in line drawings. Pink has been used to paint the two sitar players while blue, pink and red interspersed with triangular have been used as a background. The artist’s other line drawings such as ‘Bats’, “ Rain and Sea Waves”, “ Vesak Decorations” , “ Lena Thulin Pitathata “ (emerging out of the cave) are on different themes. These line drawings are marked for their sparingly use of objects. For instance, in the “Bats”, the artist has only used dark figures of three bats against the backdrop of a starry night. Over the years, artist Chandana Ranaweera has devised his own style of painting and diction which has been matured. He has chosen line drawings and collage as media for his creations.

Following the footsteps of his father who was an instructor in arts, Chandana Ranaweera entered the field of art. During his student days at Maliyadeva Boys’ School in Kurunegala, Ranaweera’s creativity flourished under the guidance of art teacher S. M. Jayatilake. He followed a course of study conducted by veteran artist Sumana Dissanayake. On completion of his education, he joined Lanka Kala Sangamaya where he followed a one-year course in art in 1989. He held his maiden exhibition of paintings entitled “Ehipasiko “at the public library. It was a mix-media including collage, graphics and line drawings on themes such as drummers, the Buddha and life in general. In 1992 he held an exhibition of line drawings entitled “Nawatha Emathima” at the Public Library, Colombo in 1994, Chandana held an exhibition of line drawings entitled “Varnarekha Kavya”. In 2000 he held an exhibition of paintings entitled “Samadhi Chinthana” at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery. The surprise visit by the then Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Gopala Krishna Gandhi and Tara Krishna Gandhi, on reading an article on Chandana’s paintings by Prof. Ashley Halpe, had been an encouragement for Chandana. The exhibitions by Chandana include “Samadhi Chintha” I, II, II and Line Lyrics at Alliance Francaise in Kandy.

He has represented Sri Lanka at international exhibitions held in India, Japan and Bangladesh. The UN has used his paintings on numerous occasions for picture post cards in 1991. For the picture post cards, only four artists’ works have been selected. In addition his paintings have been used as cover pictures for Shahitya Kalapola, a publication by the Department of Cultural Affairs.