S. H. Sarath - Satire with brush

S. H. Sarath

An art exhibition by Sella Hannadige Sarath, (S. H. Sarath, that is) generally takes on the guise of a lively segment of a folk-pageant. On one occasion, Sarath lined up a whole series of oil-lamps, inviting everyone to light them.

He has a built-in flair to surprise, shock and amuse his viewers. At times, his works assault the psyche of his spectators, eliciting outrage.

His soul is a bubbling, seething and simmering repository of mischief, ever ready to burst out, given the least chance.

S. H. Sarath's incipient art, may have derived substantial inspiration, influence and nourishment from a variety of sources. But, today, his body of works, unerringly proclaims an aesthetic of its own.

As an artist, S. H. Sarath arrived in the public domain, when he was about thirty. From then on, he may have held well over fifty exhibitions, both jointly and at solo level. Some of these took place, outside the shores of Sri Lanka.

His decades long trek, as a main-stream artist in Sri Lanka, began in a village in the deep-south - Weligama.

The residual aesthetic memories of his rural childhood, still vibrate in his current mature art.

The vagaries of weather and time and the rigours and strains of life, have imposed a heavy toll on his personal and physical presence as well.

Oil leak sinks in the ocean

His frail frame is topped by a mane of entirely white hair. His teeth, which he keeps perpetually bared in a pleasant and disarming grin, are still, starkly white and perfect.

His inner evolution has travelled a long way, since his childhood days in the village. The sights, sounds and the total environment of a rural setting overwhelm a sensitive child growing up in a village.

Later layers of urban and cosmopolitan sophistication may accumulate within the evolving individual. But the childhood impressions remain indelibly etched in his soul, to emerge when the moment is propitious.

Some motifs in S. H. Sarath's current armoury of techniques, continue to betray the lingering traces of his childhood memories. The core elements of the decorative and colourful costumes, the elaborate ornaments and some of the patterns and arabesques in S. H. Sarath's latest works, are an unmistakable echo of the temple murals and the material utilised in folk-rituals and "devil dances."

The whimsicality that exudes from some of his paintings, is the outcome of his harking bask to those rites and rituals and temple murals.

But, with S. H. Sarath, this process is never a routine copying or emulation. He uses these as his vehicle to communicate his world-view or ironic comment.

He has on display a piece titled 'The Modern Couple'. Here he depicts wittily, the farcical pastiche that results from a silly attempt at combining bits and pieces from various sources, to achieve a semblance of sophisticated modernity.

S. H. Sarath has deliberately opted to resort to the "loud" colour-range of the traditional Sri Lankan palette, to "Shout" his message to the spectators. His works, in consequence, are in total contrast to some of those subdued and mild, salon paintings.

S. H. Sarath's works are unique, for one highly significant reason. He is perhaps the only important Sri Lankan artist, who has chosen to aim barbs of social satire, at the follies and foibles of men and women. He casts a keen eye on the yawning chasm between profession and practice. His drawings glance sarcastically at the double-standards that dominate the lives of some morally and socially prominent pillars of society.

His witty and immensely humorous monochrome sketches target upon today's society, along a broad range of themes.

In one of those black-and-white drawings, God is depicted as totally exhausted - obviously through his attempt to help multitudes of devotees who propitiate him seeking succour. The helpless deity ends up in a bed in the ICU, receiving a blood-transfusion.

In yet another of his sarcastic monochrome sketches, S. H. Sarath turns his attention to a current global issue - the massive oil leak. He sees this as the ocean sinking in crude oil, rather than crude oil seeking into the ocean. Ocean-dwelling gods and mermaids are appalled.

S. H. Sarath has the capacity to reduce even an erotic theme into a witty and sarcastic issue, through his eminently fascinating whimsical view-point.

Deity receives blood transfusion

S. H. has a far-flung past to look back on. In a brochure, brought out along with his current exhibition, S. H. Sarath re-produces a series of photographs recalling some of the earlier exhibitions. Among those who participated in those exhibitions, there have been such stalwarts as Martin Wickramasinghe and Prof. Sarachchandra.

On most occasions S. H. Sarath laments the paucity of artistic and aesthetic consciousness of the Sri Lankans. With utter carelessness, they squander huge amounts of money on worthless trivia. But, they are not attuned to the state of mind of purchasing works of art.

It may seem, that a sentimental education is an urgent national need.

In the meantime, S. H. Sarath's work keeps on evolving.

His current display, is an exhibition of high art, laced with a touch of enlivening, sarcasm, satire and wit.

Here, his brush smiles.

His lines laugh.

The colours giggle.

The canvas guffaws.

At the end of it all, viewers are tickled into amazement and vast amusement.

That is vintage S. H. Sarath.