Old MASTERS

Stanley Abeysinghe: Versatile painter

I cannot remember what chance first sent me to Stanley Abeysinghe's studio, but I well remember the visit. His house was a fairly moderately built five-room building over looking a beautiful lake. His studio was barely large enough to accommodate the large canvas which, leant against the longest wall. Up against the canvas stood a small table - with which two cushioned chairs and a small radio, a large vase, half a dozen of colour tubes and some jars containing paint brushes. It was the room's only furniture.

Stanley Abeysinghe was a medium sized figure with a stray lock of hair over his eye, a cigarette hanging nonchalantly from his lips, with his eyes half closed was at work giving the finishing touches to a portrait. I opened the conversation by speaking of the beauty of the glimpse of the lake overlooking the house. His tremendous influence on the aspiring young artists of his time was remarkable. Broad in outlook and fine in spirit, his work was universal and got deep rooted in his own culture.

Stanley Abeysinghe

Referring to the beauty of the landscape overlooking his house he said, "I get a plain glimpse of that earthly paradise, but it's only a fragmentary glimpse." These words of his were in no sense of personal confidence they were repeated in one form or another at that time, I suppose, to anybody with whom he engaged in serious conversation. He was truly a versatile artist who excelled in the art of teaching drawing and painting.

He left the College to travel to and stay in India and in 1949 he joined St. Michel's School of Art in the UK. On his return he became a lecturer of the Government College of Fine Arts (then the Department of Fine Arts University of Kelaniya) where he was a founder teacher and later became its principal. In recognition of his services the University of Kelaniya honoured him with a doctorate Honoris Causa in 1997.

He was truly a versatile artist who excelled in painting portraits, and a good husband to his wife Vina and his children and to his pupils whom his warm friendship remained life long. Stanley Abeysinghe was one of the most contended men of his age. He painted quietly, diligently and brilliantly. His colours were sober with occasional flashes of sunlight that transformed his canvases into miracles of magic. There is nothing spectacular, about his landscape because the personality of the painter was quiet, reticent and serene.

He won a UNESCO Fellowship under which he spent two months in the UK, two months in the States, and two months in Japan. In England he visited various art galleries including the Royal College of Arts, the Slade School and the Designing Centre. In spite of his fruitful and pleasurable London association he enjoyed in particular very often meetings for 'tea and picture showing' with his fellow artists in his home.

At the College of Fine Arts he had become friendly with a beautiful girl called Vina, highly gifted fellow student whose interests were in painting, block making and designing. They later got married and had two daughters. Marriage was followed by a nomadic existence in England travelling all over France, Germany and India.

He visited leading Art Galleries in Europe and had a close study of the great masters' work. Vina Abeysinghe, his wife had an unobtrusive personality. She taught her pupils block making and designing together at the Government College of Fine Arts. They lived a happy contended life both dedicated to teaching and promoting art in Sri Lanka.

The theatre was one of his early loves. He was a dramatist too and served the Drama Panel of the Arts Council. He participated in many theatres such as 'Harischandra', 'Siri Sangabo' and 'Ramayana' with his long association the dramatist and artist J. D. A. Perera. Stanley Abeysinghe was still at work when death came to snatch the still glowing brush from his hand on April 5, 1995.

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