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Deneth drawn into new flower power world

Deneth Piumakshi Wedaarachchige isn't your average sort of artist, she is one of those brushwork painting artists who actually believes that flower power coupled with elements of fire, earth and wind blend to create a super-massive human universe. Within these mighty forces comes her inner drive and strength to dabble into a artist form that has moved many.

"I like to look for days probably even months at a piece of flower design and find what I see in order to give it the painting creativity it deserves," said Deneth talking about her Nepali inspired Buddha eyes peering through her cheeta-reddha jasmine-designed green tapestry. "It reveals a world that is quite different and I want others to perceive that it could be anything your heart desires and whatever imaginative sense it has fired in you," she said.

Deneth said that her father was a strong inspiration for her. "When I was young, since we had art running through our veins, I was quite dismayed that I fell into my father's footsteps but it was later that I realised that I had a calling to it which gave me a renewed sense of affection to my roots."

She said that her mother and sister were artistic and often drew but she wanted to do something totally out of this world. Even her father was involved in several painting projects of a reputed nature in Sri Lanka but Deneth was the black sheep of the family.

Early days

"It was in those early days when we travelled around the country to teach art to children in the North. It was a moving experience for me as we even met a Tamil boy who had nothing and wanted us to adopt him," she said.

However, life was planned for Deneth when she automatically got the perfect job and a life laid for her. "I managed to get my first job as a curator at which was home to one of Sri Lanka's best paintings and we even did a mural at the Galle Face Court which proved that art and architecture go hand-in-hand brilliantly," she said flicking her long hair and asking me to taste her cadju curry.

Deneth always has a care-free sense of spirit but she felt she wanted to move with her life than just show tourists some Sri Lankan artwork.

"I got bored with the ideal life so I quit and went on this wild journey. It took me to many places in India and then I finally found myself in Nepal where I drew and painted to my heart's content," she said.

Dabbling in anything that was unusual, Deneth said that it was the best times of her life when she rubbed shoulders with the movers and shakers of the Nepalese art world and managed to even find herself doing studies there.

"It was there that I found my niche for producing my masterpieces with the new design form which coupled nature's most raw materials and the fabric that would feel soft on your skin," she said with a smile.

Fashion designing

Eventually, Deneth found herself in fashion designing when she played around with colours on fabrics and thereafter, created some brilliant fashion designs. She said, "My label Flower Power -'DENETH' was born in 2009 in New Delhi,India. I began to turn my paintings to a form of clothing.

All the collections are highly inspired by my life on the road, stories I have come across and incidents I experienced, people I met and music that I have followed."

Deneth certainly has the determination to fight for the wrong but she also sees potential in others and supports budding artists too.

"Travelling around opened my eyes to the people and colour inspiring me greatly and it was thereafter that I came back to Sri Lanka," she said. But she didn't come empty-handed because she had plenty of experience with her art, curetting, organising fashion shows, Bollywood dancing and a little bit of drama on the side. Her work has enabled her meet great poets.

Deneth also lived in Bhutan for a time and was greatly awed with her experiences there. She admits to having a white pet rabbit that brought a source of strength to her and hanging out with her.

Amazing journey

"I enjoy original music, organising art and music projects on exchanging cultures," she said. The art of De is indeed an amazing journey and you'll never feel sorry for being friends with her. Her fashion shows have been mesmerising and definitely artistic with her last big show 'Elegance 2010' being a show success.

With a talented bunch of impromptu models and Helmut Fritz blaring in the background, De revealed some fascinating designs that were stunningly crazy. Three years ago, her show "Living Canvas - The Gallery without Walls" gave a new twist to how paintings can be dressed and revamped with many South Asian models and participants taking the show to greater heights. She said, "I work with all kinds of artists in international and national art exhibitions, openings, workshops, music concerts and do a fair bit of public relations."

True to fact, love her or hate her, you can't ignore the force that is powerful as Deneth. Her advice is: "Believe in Love, Peace and Freedom. Follow your own roads and live your dreams. Now I am on the road to create a new flower power world!"

- PP

 

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