|
|
|
| Sunday, 30 April 2006 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Arts Beyond life and cosmos in paintings by Ranga Chandrarathne
Her paintings are different and unique in style as you find diverse motifs, layer upon layer. Each of them contribute to the complexity of expression of different symbols that are suggestive of the union of man and woman in the origin of the universe. Most of the time, she uses different techniques, and the tempera technique which has been taken from Moghul paintings. The current exhibition, which is going on at Barefoot Gallery till May 18, is an extension of her previous exhibition of Dark Paintings. "Oil is laid on the bottom part of the paintings. Tempera is then laid on top of that as well causing a chemical reaction with the undried oil. It is a way to let the chaos in. It creates textures and reactions that are beyond the reach of the brush. Druvinka often lays on 25 or 30 layers which has given rich grays, sometimes with under-layers or hues, suggestions of colour that was there in the past like a dead bird that is now extinct. These are dark paintings.
The split horizon is a mystery, not of conception but of touch. The rough opaque surface obstinately refuses to give passage. The transparent upper surface, pleasant to the touch, dark as skin, seduces, cries for entry," says Dr.N. Sjoman on Druvinka's "Dark Paintings." Druvinka, (1971) is a printer, , trained in Shantiniketana, where she earned a First Class in Fine Arts. Her works have been exhibited in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the whole of Europe, where she has a loyal collector base. In February 2005, she participated in "Colures of Kharma," at the Nehru Centre in London. Dasa Raja Dhamma at Parliament Grounds by Aditha Dissanayake
It is rarely that one gets to see history being created in front of one's own eyes. Anybody who visits the parliament grounds during Vesak will get a chance to do so when the first Vesak Pandals built in front of the parliament will go up on display to mark the most important festival on the Buddhist calendar - the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day. The pandal created by Kala Suri Jayasiri Semage will depict the Dasa Raja Dharma (the ten laws of leadership) preached by the Buddha at Jethavanarama. "There will be 12 paintings drawn in my style a combination of the architecture of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods with traditional motifs like the sun, moon and the lotus)says the veteran artist, who is now giving the finishing touches to the 12 frames and who has created over 50 pandals, here and abroad spanning the era of President J.R Jayawardena, R. Premadasa, Chandrika Kumarathunge, and now, President Mahinda Rajapaksha.
Consisting of 35,000 bulbs covering a width of 55 feet and a height of 65x60 feet, the pandals, says Kala Suri Semage, is a vesak gift to the country from the Chairman of Nawaloka Group of Companies. He also acknowledges the services rendered by electrician A.B Ariyadasa in illuminating the paintings. It is believed that the Buddha having emphasised in his sermons that the good-will of the subjects of a nation depends largely on the behaviour of the rulers, had set out the ten royal virtues to be practised by the rulers of men. These include Dana, Sila, Sacrifices, Ajjava (honesty) Maddava (kindness),Avihimsa (non-violence) Kanti (patience)and avirodha (non-opposition). Given that the setting for the pandals is the parliament grounds, it is obvious that a more appropriate setting there could never be, for the depiction of these ten virtues. Ethnic fusion brings local culture to focus
The exhibition will be opened to the public on the 6th from 4pm to 7pm and on the 7th & 8th from 10am to 7pm. Shanila De Alwis studied Fine Art at the Malaysian Institute of Art in Malaysia, where she was awarded a gold medal for the Best Fine Art Student of 2003. She is currently a full-time artist. Art has been the true inspiration in Shanila's life. It is something she loves doing and it gives her an immense sense of satisfaction. Shanila believes that discipline and hard work always bring rich dividends. For Shanila, painting is not only a way to express her artistic talents; it is also a form of meditation and relaxation. Her art has been appreciated by a wide audience, including private collectors and leading organizations, both local and foreign. Her latest collection of paintings is inspired by Sri Lankan culture, life, rituals and nature. It is enriched by textures and vibrant colours. According to Shanila, no matter what subject matter a painting consists of, whether figurative, abstract, contemporary etc, the painting should give life to its surroundings, while creating an atmosphere which best complements the environment it is placed in. Film review Deepa Mehta's film - 'WATER'
Five years ago, Deepa Mehta began filming the third part of her trilogy titled "WATER" in India. This triggered violent protests and death threats from hardline Hindu protestors who burnt its sets in India's Northern State of Uttar Pradesh, saying that the film distorted Indian culture. Mehta, an Indian born Canadian citizen received death threats and had to abandon the production. The film which is set in the 1930s and deals with Hindu child widows was therefore stopped. "The film is absolutely not anti-Hindu. The script was read and passed by the very government that protested", said Mehta. Mehta and producer David Hamilton were now looking for locations throughout the world. " We got lots of invitations from different parts of India. We also got invitations from other countries like South Africa and Malaysia and I went all over the world. Finally, I came across one of my friends, an actor Gulshan Grover who said 'go to Mr Chandran Rutnam in Colombo'. I then realized I had reached my goal where the location was concerned. Chandran invited Mehta to Colombo and informed her that the film could and should be made in Sri Lanka. Rutnam always believed that no film is worthy of being made without a dramatic message or an important subject matter, which most often, if it is worthy, would be considered controversial by some elements of society. To avoid protests from the hardline Hindu protestors who had no reason to protest, Chandran and Deepa decided to give it a working title called 'FULL MOON'. The film 'WATER' was made entirely in Sri Lanka with locations in Ginthupitiya with the Ghats on the river Ganges, magnificently created by Sri Lanka's own, internationally recognized production designer, Errol Kelly, who has production designed many Hollywood films. 'WATER' was locally line produced by Film Location Services (Pvt) Ltd. The eight week shooting schedule went very smoothly without any interruption whatsoever, and Deepa Mehta and her producers were satisfied. In a recent interview, when asked what the story of 'WATER' was, Deepa Mehta answered : "The main subject in the film is about widows. The film is about a group of widows who are subjected to the norms of behaviour as laid down by religion." And when asked : What do you think about the back up services available for international films in Sri Lanka? "It is thoroughly effective. Yeh, of course. I was really impressed with scenes here, and it was a wonderful experience we had in Sri Lanka. And I was also really impressed with Mr Rutnam's team at Film Location Services. They were real professionals. I know it was not an easy job for them, but they lived up to expectations. This type of empathy is rare talent you don't get anywhere else. And I also was impressed with the talent in Sri Lanka. I was amazed with the talent of the little girl Sarala from Galle who played the most important role in 'WATER'. She is a natural actress and she was wonderful. She had a 'star' quality in her. She was one of the brilliant actresses that I have come across during my career. In addition, I was also impressed with the talents of Sri Lankan artistes like Iranganie Serasinghe and Buddhi Wickrema with whom I worked. And on the whole, I think I made the right choice by selecting Sri Lanka for my film, and I would do anything to do another film in Sri Lanka." 'WATER', had the distinction and honour of being chosen as the Opening Night Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival recently. Salman Rushdie described the film, "Deepa Mehta's 'WATER' as a magnificent film. The ensemble acting of the women in the widow's hostel is exceptional, intimate, painful, wounded, jaundiced, corrupted, tender and tough. . . unforgettably touching the heart." 'WATER' is the final instalment in Mehta's element trilogy, and follows in the footsteps of 1996's 'FIRE' and 1998's 'EARTH'. Set in pre-independent India, against the backdrop of Mahatma Gandhi's rise to power, the film tells the story of the eight-year-old child-bride Chuyia who is exiled to a widows' ashram after her husband's death. Chuyia's feisty presence in the ashram of the widows, starts to affect the lives of the other residents, in particular 20 year old Kalyani (played by Lisa Ray of "Hollywood / Bollywood") , 35 year old Shakuntala (played by Seema Biswas of "Bandit Queen") and an 80 year old whose days are waning. Encouraged by Chuyia, Kalyani breaks tradition and falls for young upper class Gandhian Idealist, Narayan (played by Bollywood heart-throb John Abraham) forcing the widows to question their future and their faith. At the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival, Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya of Thailand presented the Golden Kinnaree Award in the International Competition to Deepa Mehta for 'WATER'. At the Annual Genie Awards in Canada, 'WATER' won the awards for Cinematography, Music and the performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, (Seema Biswas). The film is presented by Global Film Marketing and Chandran Rutnam, in association with The National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka, at the Majestic Cinema from the May 26, 2006 n |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
The darkness is palpable in these paintings. It is darkness that is all
around us now. The paintings speak of space. Space cannot help, but be a
sign of spirituality. The space is often split by the oil and the paper
pieces giving a split dimensional shift. Each has its own texture. Each one
opens itself in a different way. 
"Ethnic Fusion" an exhibition of recent paintings by Shanila de Alwis
will be held at the Harold Peiris Gallery from May 6-8. 
