Multiplicity of talents at display

Exhibition of oil paintings by Asanga P. Nelundeniya:

By Ranga CHANDRARATHNE

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Young artist Asanga’s exhibition of oil paintings held recently at Lionel Wendt Art gallery recently among other things was a testimony of the artist’s multiplicity of talent.

Asana has captured on a canvas the variety of themes ranging from human figures, spenldours of nature and political personalities like former Indian President Abdul Kalaam. It is not an exaggeration to mention that he has excelled in almost all of his paintings.

In generally, paintings are marked for mastery in brush strokes and the combination of colours which appropriately matched the selected themes.

Particularly Asanga has effectively used the light and shade and the surreal effect that it brought about in paintings. This characteristic is amply manifested, particularly, in paintings on nature and animals.

Over the years, Asanga has developed a unique style of painting which has now become his signature. Asanga is highly influenced by Italian paintings and is also fond of portrait drawings. He extensively used powder colour which has been used for temple paintings.

“Aatmaya” (The Soul) is an abstract painting. For this creation, Asanga has primarily used red and ash with a head of a human figure which looks like that of a woman. Two hands hold the figure up and the figure is surrounded by ash forms. This painting is significant in terms of the combination of colours and symbolism ingrained in it. Asanga positioned the principle figure of the woman’s head in the middle of the frame against the red backdrop. In order to focus attention on the figure he has craftily employed other symbols such as holding up of hands and circling ash figures.

At times, this figure takes human forms and at other, they are blurred into incoherent ash circle around the women figure. Instinctively symbols used in the painting represent the idea of soul although whether the soul is in the body or exists independent of it has not been figured out. However, in another abstract Asanga has deviated from using bright colours.

Here he has used light blue, green, yellow and gray. The abstract painting titled “Hope” offers another dimension of Asanga’s use of colour and human figures in picturing a concept or an idea. The centre of the frame in this creation is occupied by whirlwind like incoherent circles which revolves around a centre. By the side of the whirlwind are the two human figures apparently in naked form. Unlike in the previous painting, here it is not possible to figure out whether the human forms are that of men or women. The painting as a whole conveys the idea of hope and its brittle nature.

The painting “Acharaya” (Respect) is another creation where Asanga has predominantly used green and yellow for the painting. Here a female figure salutes a male figure. Yellow has been used to bring in an effect of light into the picture. Although the kind of salutation is not clear from a feminist perspective, it is obvious that salutation on the part of woman is voluntary and not amounting into submission to the male domination. It is like a handshake in a conventional sense.

“Two Writers” is also an abstract which shows in no uncertain terms, Asanga’s delicate treatment of subject and variety of selection. Here principally blue and green have been used. Asanga has exploited diverse shades of blue while judiciously using green in the middle of the figures. Two writers’ faces blurred by a over hanging pen as if to suggest that pen is a universal object which symbolizes writers and scribes throughout the world.

“The Black and White” is on the theme of racial harmony. Asanga has brought out the theme in terms of two faces, one black and another white, in a circle. Basically the red and yellow have been used for the painting. Here by positioning the black and white faces in a circle, Asanga conveys the idea that racial harmony is essential for a better world.

One of the instances where thematic difference has been highlighted is “The Honeymoon”. Though the painting is not a deviation from Asanga’s usual combination of colours dominated by red, it has, in this instance, rendered a new dimension to the theme of “Honeymoon”. Though the male figure is not clear here, woman is approaching her lover with longing eyes.

Asanga’s selection of subject matter for his paintings is widely different as well as his combination of colours for different creations. For instance, creation titled “Paranikama” (Antiquity) is one of the interesting paintings where the sense of antiquity has been re-enforced by means of two old tree trunks. Sense of antiquity is brought up by wrinkles in the tree trunks.

The painting “Determination” is one that Asanga drew by looking at a Pakistani statue of wood. It is also an instance where a variety of subject has been highlighted. Particularly Asanga has been inspired by life - like the statue which symbolized the hardships endured.

Asanga Padmal Nelundeniya is a veteran painter with 17 years of experience behind him.

He studied up to G.C.E. Ordinary level at Paththalagedara Affiliated School and moved to Sangabodhi Central college Nittambuwa for his advanced level.

Asanga demonstrated his skills under the tutelage of the late art teacher of Veyangoda Maha Vidyalaya late Mr.N.P. Karunarathna. Former principal of Veyangoda M.V. Mr. Nimal Rajapaksha too helped in fine tuning the talents of Asanga with whom he did the temple paintings of the famous Ballapana Viharaya, Galigamuwa.

Asanga has won numerous awards at inter school competitions during his student days. The most salient feature in his paintings is the colour combination that he employs which he has developed to an admirable level during a career spanning 17 years. He is also a much sought after artist in designing banners and other art works and extensive drawing during the Vesak season for “Thorana” paintings. Though versatility is his forte, his specialty is oil paintings.

The exhibition of paintings by Asanga P. Nelundeniya is marked by his unique combination of colours and wide array of subjects capturing the myriad aspects of life in its diverse manifestations. Among other things, the exhibition shows that Asanga has come of age and has reaped the dividends of his experience in the craft.