Menaka Udayangani:

Master colourist at work

Menaka Udayangani was born in Ampara where the atmosphere was not conducive for art or any other creative work. Then she moved to Kegalle and grew up amidst lush green paddy fields, rows of coconut trees and friendly villagers. She fell in love with the surroundings and the simple lifestyle of villagers. Her grandparents took her under their wing and encouraged her to have her drawing skills.

In her childhood she picked up pieces of charcoal and chalk and drew beautiful designs, animals, birds and human figures on the walls and the floor of her house. She had her early education at Miniwamgama Junior School, Hettimulla, Bandaranayake Maha Vidyalaya and completed her higher education at Girls High School, Kegalla.

Passionate

Menaka was so passionate about painting from her early childhood. Sooner or later her quest and burning ambition to become a reputed painter brought her to Colombo. In 2000 she joined the art classes conducted by the Ceylon Society of Arts.

Bird

One of her paintings

Here she was fortunate to receive her art training under eminent teachers such as Kalapathi Pulasthi Ediraweera and Jayantha Thissera who moulded her as a budding artist She uses oil, watercolours, pastel and acrylic colours for her creations, but her forte is oil on canvas.

She is a lover of nature and the subjects she select for her paintings are the realistic scenes of everyday life such as birds, animals, waterfalls, fishing boats, golden sandy beaches, elephants at Pinnawala, tea pluckers, beautiful village belles with curvaceous bodies bathing in the river.

In many of her paintings she portrays a distinctiveness in both composition and use of rich colours. Menaka is an original colourist often at her best. She excels in realistic perception and masterly handling of paint. Menaka is a painter who successfully represents not only the form but also the psychology of nature. Beautiful landscapes, visions and secrets of nature make her paintings eloquent. Her love and expert knowledge in applying colour on her work as a landscape painter with bold fluid brush work characterise her artistic personality.

First exhibition

Menaka’s first art exhibition in 2010 at the National Art Gallery was a tremendous success and thereafter her participation in group exhibitions won her many awards. In the annual exhibition organised by the Ceylon Society of Arts she won a gold medal, a bronze medal and a merit award. Her outstanding talent as a painter is due to her dedication and hardwork. After a period of training and experience producing a wide variety of work, including crisp landscape watercolours and sentimental literary subjects, she stands tall with a gentle smile and believes that art should stand alone and appeal to the artistic sense of the eye. At present she is an undergraduate at the Kelaniya University. Menaka is married and blessed with a son. She plans to organise an exhibition of her latest work early next year.