Unveiling a bountiful feast of variety

Kekuli Unamboowe Abeyratne's debut as an artist:

by Dilshan Boange

Last week Kekuli Unamboowe Abeyratne unveiled her maiden art exhibition at the Lionel Wendt gallery. Titled 'A Tumultuous journey to a tranquil state of mind' the debut collection comprised nearly 70 works that presented a sumptuous feast of colour and form abundant with stylistic variance offering food for thought. The works on display showed the voice within the artist speaks through expressionistic approaches to create impressions that are likely linked to the factors that have shaped her joys, sorrows and solaces.

A notable theme was 'tripartite female figures' which was visible in several pieces. Perhaps the fact that the artist has two sisters and the significance they have in her own life has been captured through that theme. Some of the influences that appear to shape the stylistics of the works range from images linked to children's themes to contemporary line drawings as well as possibly a dose of Cubist impressionism.

There is no singular stylistic that binds the collection together to present a 'signature style' but an abundance of variety seems to be a statement in the collection that was unveiled. Yet the diversity appears to be contained within the lines of notably modern expressionistic approaches to art and thereby establishes a certain range in respect of how it could be classified within the strata of 'genres of painting'.

The aesthetic sensibility in the artist has certainly been proved along with the aptitude for diverse expression by putting brush to paint and then coursing on canvass a facet of thought spoken outside the scheme of verbal communication. The artist must be applauded for a highly commendable debut. It is indeed hoped that more will follow in the days to come as her life's experiences gain more momentum to transfigure as creations that speak in the form of colours and forms on canvas.