Chiselling life into shape on cement

By Ananda KANNANGARA

Sculptors are making various figures and shapes by carving or shaping stones, metal or wood. They also make figures with cement and sand. Stone pieces or large blocks are taken from rocks. Most granite rocks are located at many places such as Kaduwela, Gampaha, Avissawella, Matugama, Kurunegala, Homagama, Kalutara and Puwakpitiya. Cement is a mixture of several raw materials, but sand is freely available.

Sculptors could be found not only at one place like cane goods manufacturers at Wewaldeniya in Nittambuwa or mask manufacturers in Ambalangoda, they could be found all over the country. Like many others, sculpture is also a traditional industry.

According to the Handicraft village at Battaramulla, over 300,000 people depend on this industry. In the olden days this industry was done by people in rural villages, but the industry has now expanded to urban areas, even to the city of Colombo and suburban areas.

One could say that sculptors make only statues, tomb stones and commemorative plaques. They know the art of making even certain household items such as cement tables, chairs, garden pots, flower pots, gift items and stair cases for houses.

Among all making statues of persons, gods, animals and birds out of cement, wood or stones also have become a major industry.

Sri Lanka's sculpture industry has a recorded history of over 2,000 years from the time of Kings Dutugemunu, Parakramabahu and Agbo. Our history reveals that people who worked for Sri Lanka's first king Vijaya were engaged in the sculpture industry. Even after this period, ancient sculptors worked for kings Devanampiyatissa, Kavantissa and Dhatusena to make statues and ponds with clay. People living in the olden days also manufactured weapons out of wood and clay. Making statues with clay was given up by sculptors with the arrival of cement. Now, sculptors use only cement and sand to make statues. As there were no machinery in the olden days, people took months and months to make statues and vases out of granite. Unlike in the past, the situation of the sculpture industry is completely different now. Unlike many other traditional industries, the sculpture industry does not die.

The present day majority sculptors focus much attention towards making huge statues and commemorative plaques. But, small scale sculptors manufacture items such as flower pots, chairs, small statues of women and children and garden benches to beautify gardens, hotel rooms, houses etc.

The Sunday Observer last week visited several places in Kalutara, Wadduwa, Beruwela, Homagama, Kadawatha, Kottawa and Talahena in Kaduwela to meet sculptors to seek their views on the industry.

A long-standing sculptor and owner of Sumathi Sithu Ketayam at Kalutara Nihal Pinnawela said, his grandfather Manis Singho started the sculpture industry in 1905 as a self employment project. After his demise, the business was taken over by his father Karunadasa Pinnawela.

"Both my grandfather and father sacrificed their lives towards the development of this industry. They shed their sweat and created very beautiful statues with cement and sand".

He said like in the present day, no modern technology was available to finish products and sometimes it took months to create a single statue.

Nihal said, although he took over the industry from his father in 1989, he was not in a sound financial background to develop it and thereafter he had to obtain a loan of Rs. 10,000 from a friend to expand the industry.

"I have been engaged in the industry for the past 30 years, I developed the industry to a great extent with the help of my staffers and workers and I was able to become the country's leading manufacturer of cement statues, commemorative plaques, monuments, name boards and Buddha statues,".

He said he has provided employment to over 35 persons in his factory at Keragala and Kadawatha.

Nihal said in addition, he makes statues for opening ceremonies, funerals etc. He said he provided cement items for the Hambantota Port, Katugastota Bridge, Madu Church, Mehewara Piyasa, Chandrika Wewa Development Project etc. He said he undertook the construction of the several tomb stones of politicians, famous personalities.

Lakshman also said cement statues are sold from Rs. 30,000 up to Rs. three lakhs, depending on the size of the product.

He said he has another plan to send cement statues and other cement products to foreign countries in the future.

The owner of Kumarage and sons of Pannipitiya and the manufactures of cement statues, plaques and monuments, N. Jayasinghe said he started the sculpture industry in 1985 following his father's death and he earns Rs. 70,000 per month.

"We buy cement and sand on whole sale and manufacture statues of Buddha, gods and various persons. Unlike earlier, we mainly manufacture them for beautify gardens as only few people give orders to manufacture tomb stones due to costs involved".

He also said the prices of some products are ranging from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 200,000 depending on the size of statues.

He said the Government should give a helping hand to persons engaged in the industry and proposed the Government to introduced a bank loan scheme, so that this industry could be developed to a greater extent.

A statue manufacturer, Nimal Senaka of Kaduwela said he owns a small shop and manufacture only few statues every month. He said in addition he make Buddha statues from granite blocks.

A 50 year old, Sedara Shantha of Panadura who manufacture statues of Buddha, Politicians, animals, birds said without the Governments assistance this industry will not survive. He proposed the authorities to conduct exhibitions for the benefit of cement statue manufacturers in the country, as it will be of great help to manufacturers, especially small industrialists to expand their business activities.

He said he has not forgotten a foreign couple had purchased a statue of God to be taken to their country, Holland by paying him Rs. 80,000 and unfortunately they were not allowed to take the statue from the Air Port.

"Therefore, I suggest the authorities to permit foreigners to take Sri Lankan products to their countries without any obstacle."