Artist with unique talents
Photo & Text by: Nimal Wijayatunga - Eheliyagoda Special Correspondent.
Picking the sparkling and
colourful very tiny pieces of gems from containers placed on the art
table with a tweezer-like tool which is used by watchmakers, she places
them properly on he drawing and pastes them with a strong adhesive thus
she re-creates portraits of well known personalities such as President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, Actor Vijaya Kumaratunga, the Ven. Gangodawila Soma
Thera, Mona Liza and so on.
This unique person with an inborn talent in drawing and gem-studded
art work is none other than Rohinie Ratnaike of Weligoda very close to
the Eheliyagoda town.
"The creation of such a gem-studded art work is actually a
painstaking task. It is similar to a sort of meditation. Each and every
tiny piece of gem should be placed in the proper place of the art work
in order to get the best results," she says.
Among her precious creations are the Avukana Buddha Statue (4x2 1/2),
Jesus Christ, Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thera, Princess Hemamala and
Prince Dhantha, Sigiriya frescoes, Isurumuniya Lovers, politicians,
actors, birds, flowers and greeting cards.
  Rohinie has already held several solo exhibitions of her creations.
She has exported some of her art work to foreign countries such as the
UAE, USA, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. Her wall plaques fetch high
prices starting from Rs. 10,000. She has opened a sales outlet at
Moragala close to Eheliyagoda recently.
She says her husband K. B. Ratnaike and two children (son and
daughter) help and encourage her to a great extent.
Very recently, Rohinie has met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple
Trees where the President too commended her for her pieces of art.
Rohinie expects to expand her business to provide employment to
village women. |
