by Aditha Dissanayake

We move instinctively towards each other. Dressed as he is in a crumpled blue cotton shirt and a faded denim, even though I have never met him before, as the word "artist" is written all over him I know he has to be the sculptor who had come to talk to me about his forthcoming exhibition at the Villa Saffron, from December 9 to 16, titled "Aji's World".

Even though it is rather disconcerting to think that he too would have recognized me, in that bustling crowd because the word "journalist' is written all over me, I greet him with my Garfield-in-a-good-mood grin and try to pretend I know enough about sculpture to write a preview of his exhibition.

So, if you are searching for an in depth article about the intricacies of the ceramic sculptures of Ajith Manjula, you may just as well give up reading this article right this minute. If, however, you would like to see how a novice sculpture critic, digs her own grave, you can read on. Who knows you might enjoy watching the digging, it might go on forever or perhaps never even begin.

After all, I do know this much about sculpture, it is three dimensional i.e. you can walk around it. Some sculptures stand still, some sculptures move. Ajith nods to say he agrees, but turns the corners of his mouth downwards and says "So-so". As a graduate of the University of Kelaniya, even though he could have defined the word sculpture in more profound terms, he holds his counsel and refuses to be my mentor.

Nathaniel Hawthorne said "Moonlight is sculpture". I break the silence taking refuge in the only source of knowledge I had grasped in my own four years at the U of K - English literature. To my relief Ajith begins to talk. He is delighted someone has seen moonlight as sculpture because he believes everything in this world should be seen through new angles.

"A human figure should not be seen as 'only a human figure. A tree should not be seen as only a tree" explains Ajith. "If we see everything in the world as what they are, then the whole world will become immensely dull and boring. But if we can look at the world through different angles we would see more beauty in it".

Having been 'sculpting', as he calls it, for many years, and having already held two other exhibitions, one of them in Japan, Ajith says in Aji's world 2007 he presents work he had created across the years combining what he had learnt with his experiences "translating ever changing thoughts into objects in order to grasp the wonders of the universe and the mystic beauty of the soul".

Having created the main body of work in ceramics Ajith refuses to give "explanations" to any of the exhibits. "Everyone has the freedom to see what they wish to see in my work. These are not reproductions of nature. These are the translations of the thoughts in my soul. This is my world".

To view the timeless and exquisite creations in Ajith's World 2007 visit Villa Saffron (No. 15, Bogahahena Road, Battaramulla) from December 9 to 16 2007.