Arts

Exhibition and documentary film

by Dr. Daya Hewapathirane

“The heritage of Buddhist paintings” (Photographic Reproductions) will be held at the Queens Hotel, Mahanuwara (Kandy) from August 10 to 17th from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. daily and will be opened to the public free of charge.

This event provides a glimpse of the island’s rich tradition of paintings - a fascinating aspect of its visual cultural heritage.

The richness of imagination, creativity, aesthetic sense and inspiration of our artists of the past and present times are revealed vividly in these exquisite paintings. This event is bound to bring about increased awareness and appreciation of the richness of the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka, and will be of special interest to members of the international community.

The event is planned as a place where people could see, appreciate and learn, a place that stimulates a sense of pleasure, pride and discovery, as an experience providing an aesthetic challenge resulting in a greater cultural awareness and discernment. Also, it will be an opportunity for intercultural dialogue and appreciation.

The Sri Lanka Presidential Secretariat and the Sri Dalada Maligava will be presenting a photo exhibition and documentary film on Buddhist paintings during the Esala Dalada Perahera season, as a part of the Perahera festivities.

Enrichment of arts and culture being an essential component of the Mahinda Chintana, inevitably this event will help as a way of exposing our people to “...the cultural heritage, to enrich the lives of the citizens with high mental and spiritual qualities and to create a society of people who are intelligent, discerning and innovative.”

A visual pilgrimage

Both the exhibition and film is one on a visual pilgrimage of many historic sites with exquisite paintings, providing an overall view of the overflowing richness of the nation’s cultural tradition.

Ancient paintings with secular themes reflect a spiritual predisposition. The documentary film presents a considerable amount of information and interpretations on the nation’s historic paintings and serves as a resource for those familiar with Buddhist art and for those interested in learning more on this exciting visual cultural heritage.

The primary objective of the exhibition is to provide a glimpse of the island’s rich tradition of art - a fascinating aspect of its visual cultural heritage, and thereby generate and enhance a sense of pleasure and national pride among our people about their rich and fascinating cultural inheritance.

These paintings reveal vividly the richness of imagination, creativity, aesthetic sense and inspiration of our artists of the past and present times.

Comprehensive exhibition

The Exhibition will present, a selection of about 500 photographs of exquisite paintings that adorn a diversity of vihares and historic sites across the country, including those designated by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

These sites and paintings are associated with a period that exceeds 2200 years, from 3rd Century BCE to the 21st Century.

Included are paintings found on a diversity of surfaces, such as ancient cave and rock surfaces, walls including relic chamber walls inside stupas, ceilings, status and related structures, on doors and others wooden surfaces, clay and earthenware, and on textiles in Buddhist Shrines and historic sites.

Paintings that will be featured are reflective of varied art styles, approaches and traditions of the past and present.

Exhibits will be accompanied by narrative scripts outlining the history and major elements of art works of the different periods of art in the country. Themes of these paintings highlight the life and teachings of the Buddha.

Impact and expectation

Visual presentations of this nature are bound to bring about increased awareness and appreciation of the richness of our cultural heritage and will be of particular interest and significance for our younger generation.

This event is planned as a place where people could see, appreciate and learn; a place that stimulates a sense of pleasure, pride and discovery; as an experience providing an aesthetic challenge resulting in a greater cultural awareness and discernment. It will be an opportunity for intercultural dialogue and appreciation.

Besides, events of this nature help to generate interest in conserving and promoting these priceless national treasures for posterity. Inevitably, the range of techniques and styles evident in these artistic masterpieces of Sri Lanka should be of particular interest to contemporary art enthusiasts and creative artists looking for inspiration for innovative artistic ventures.

Serene joy and peacefulness

Buddhist paintings dominate the art traditions of our country. They are among the most gentle and sublime art of humankind. Some are among the oldest surviving Buddhist art of South Asia.

They are known to generate inner calm, and evoke serene joy and emotion in people, irrespective of their religious or cultural backgrounds.

They transcend artistic and aesthetic appreciation and appeal to something higher an deeper. Engrossed in classical Buddhist paintings one finds that they tend to enter one’s inner self, transforming one’s mind to a state of innocence, compassion, serene joy and peacefulness.

Flora in water colours IV painting exhibition

Sreemathie Herath’s fourth individual art exhibition to be held at Alliance Franciase Kandy from August 22-28 free of charge. This exhibition contains twenty five landscapes and a few still life paintings in water colour.

Water colour is a difficult medium of painting she says. She studied this difficult medium with the help of veteran water colour painter M. D. S. Gunathilake for about five years time. She has obtained so many prizes and awards from all Sri Lanka Arts Competitions in several years in this category.

For all these paintings she has used a special English paper, she stated. Most of these paintings indicate the Kandian atmosphere and what she saw as still life.

Sreemathie is a graduate teacher, at Weerodara College, Kandy, there she teaches art as a subject to G.C.E. Ordinary Level students and teachers who wish to learn the subject.

She says she spent forty five minutes on each painting.

Siripade:

Vincent de Paul with four generations

Popular singer Vincent de Paul Peiris will present a concert at Namel Malani Punchi theatre on August 17, 2008 at 6.30 p.m.

Vincent de Paul Peiris and Elonka Wahalatantri (his daughter) will sing at the concert while Anil (son), Doreen (daughter) and grand children Sehani, Suwen, Lakidu, Senal, Shiyon, Shiyoni and Ayani (great grand daughter) will join in the chorus and in presenting dances at the concert.

Vincent de Paul Peiris is a one of the towering figures in the Tower Hall era with a career in music of over 59 years. His popular hits like ‘Sri Padey Samanala Kanda Penai’ and ‘Bicicale, Bicicale’ are still popular among audience. (RC)

Namunukula Giraga:

Exhibition of paintings

Exhibition of paintings titled “Namunukula Giraga” by Wasantha Kumara will be held on August 16 from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. at 45/7 Walagedara Badulla.

(RC)

Farewell Pradeepanjalee:

Rag Bihaj to the fore

The 15th Pradeepanjalee which will be held on August 13 at 7.00 p.m. at Lionel Wendt, as the last in the series before Pradeep Ratnayake leave for USA for his higher studies. (RC)