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| Sunday, 1 August 2004 |
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Iromi Wijewardena's artistic ode to rural women : Subtly Sensual by Vimukthi Fernando
A petite figure, willowy and lithe, perhaps by keeping to the discipline learned during her schooldays, she smiles basking in the reflected glow of her favourable statue, that of God Wishwakarma. "I was attracted to this the minute I set eyes upon it. So I bought it. It was only later, through research I found out that it was a carving of god Wishwakarma, believed to bestow prosperity upon artists," she says. A veteran artist with 12 solo exhibitions to her credit, and the 13th around the corner, Iromie is no stranger, either to art lovers or the artistic fraternity.
"It was not only the blessings of the gods, but commitment to the cause, hard work - long hours spent in studying and painting, and a constant effort to better oneself that has brought me to where I am", says the artist who has won acclaim not only locally, but from many countries worldwide during her three decade romance with painting. Starting her day at 5.00 a.m., she paints till the vee hours of the morning. "My work is totally imaginative. Though I may do the sketches at location, during my travel in and outside the country, to complete the work a tranquil atmosphere is needed," she explains. Iromie has come a long way from the depiction of landscapes at her maiden solo exhibition in 1973, when she was 'just a schoolgirl'. It had been at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya, that she discovered the panorama of art, she reminiscences, grateful to her mentors for recognising her thirst for creativity. Winning a scholarship to Wilson College, Pennsylvania, USA expanded her horizons, exposing her to different forms of art from varied cultures. After many years and many progressive styles and forms, Iromie has become an icon in Sri Lankan art in the wider world.
The women on my canvases exude subtle sensuality," she adds. Her canvases glistening with colour, imparts life to her 'Bread Winners, The Vendor, The Dancer, Rhythm in Pink, Tea Break' and many more themes. As her 'Gypsy Woman' wraps her child lovingly in her arms, so do the pigments creating folds, crinkles and ridges, blurring and merging, in layers and shapes, creating a rhythmic energy of their own. "I always associated painting with my country," says the artist explaining that figure drawing, is her forte. "European, non figurative, abstract art is not for me. Paintings is all about colour, line and form.
It was this ability to impart life to her subjects that gave her the opportunity of having one of her paintings reproduced in a postage stamp in Yugoslavia, in 1985 and another reproduced in the back cover of The Reader's Digest in February 2000. The potential for art in Sri Lanka is much more than it was, back in the 1970s, she says adding that there is wider scope, academic as well as equipment and galleries. However, she regrets Sri Lanka's lack of a proper national gallery to record and preserve the works of contemporary artists. This is essential for posterity as well as the contemporary art student, explains Iromie. "If there is a proper gallery where records of contemporary artists are kept they can refer these keeping the time with the artists to a minimum." For aspiring artists "continuity is a must for a professional artist," she advises. A basic degree is essential, according to Iromie. This would enable the selection of a finer form to specialise on. Being prepared to work long hours and continuous improvement in style are basic necessities as well. "Above all do not emulate any other. Keep to your own style. Be open to ideas, inspirations. You never stop learning - you are a student all the time," she adds. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
How does a champion in athletics, a winner of many 100 and 200 metre
sprints and famous for her speed in movement, sit still in front of a
canvas for hours with a palette in hand? Her peers could not fathom. That
is Iromie Wijewardena's mystery.
Simple yet elegant, dressed in earthly brown and off-white with
jewellery to match, she sits in her compact living room - yet another
gallery of art, now strewn with many paintings, and speaks about her art
and her 13th solo exhibition.
With her latest exhibition, Iromie attempts to uplift women in rural
Sri Lanka, "giving them a status and place in society not just as
creators and home-makers but as responsible individuals who keep the home
fires burning." Her subtle manipulation of colour and form enlivens
their colourless and mundane routine, causing the observer see it in
altogether a new light. Her women are created, elongated and fragile with
a pensive look or with an enigmatic smile.
Exploring the colour in our country is not at all difficult. It draws
you towards a wider colour palette," she explains. Her forms are
"simplified, and vibrant contrasts and expressive colours are used in
most of them. Colour and life predominantly are the main source through
which I express the beauty of my sensuous subjects, clothed in decorative
fabrics," she adds.
