Arts with a penchant for human form

There was nothing in the early boyhood of Tilake Abeysinghe to suggest that he was anyway unusual. He was born in Karathota near Matara in 1929. After his primary education at Rahula College, Matara, he completed his college education at St. Silvester College, Kandy. Soon after he finished his schooling he joined the survey department as a draughtsman. But Tilake had another and more important asset - a talent with the brush. So, he joined the Government College of Fine Arts to learn painting. In 1956 he won a prize for the Buddha Jayanthi stamp competition and soon became known in art circles.

His talent earned him a post graduate scholarship to the Academia De Belle Art, Milan Italy, under the tutelage of famous painter Dominico Contatre and sculpting under sculptor Mariano Marini. After graduating from Academia in painting and sculpting, he held his first one man exhibition in Milan. He has held 79 one man exhibitions and acquired many accolades local and international. He held his 79th art exhibition in Labrador Art Centre.

Gaining a tremendous respect and appreciation for his work he received a gold medal by the Mayor of Labrador City. He had also exhibited in Montreal, Copenhagen, Italy, France, Germany, Australia and Japan. Tilake has toured the art galleries of Europe extensively and studied the work of the great masters such as Giotto and Modiglani. He received the prestigious and chevalier by the Italian government in 1984.

Tilake Abeysinghe is justly famous for trying out exquisite woman nudes with complete artistry form in line and colour. He had his 40 paintings exhibited at the Lionel Wendt in 2004 named 'Naari Ru' or Vignettes or Women was a tremendous success. He has been always an independent artist unbending to commercialism.

Tilake Abeysinghe

Tilake is internationally reputed as a painter and a sculptor. The sculpture of 20ft high at the Italian Embassy is a masterpiece. He has mastered the technique of softening the colours to be consistent with the message of peace and it is the same in Italy, Sri Lanka or anywhere.

The Italian Embassy commissioned Tilake Abeysinghe to do a sculpture and a mural in the foyer of the new Chenarey. The painting is simple and devoid of uncanny sartorial decoration.

His water colour paintings are mostly based on abstract art. They cannot be dismissed as decorative art or imitate art. They are the result of the dreams which are done spontaneously. The easiest medium for any artist Tilake says is oil on canvas. They are so easy as well as difficult. His paintings have dawn the walls of Central Bank, Standard Charted Bank, Ministry of Defence, American Express Bank and Ramada Renaissance Hotel. He had also exhibited in New Delhi, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Paris, Hambarg, London and Japan. Tilake Abeysinghe though a smalt made man with grey hair and a pointed beard, forceful eyes but he is a humble and soft-spoken man with a mellowing heart.

I wish to record my experience once I had with him. In 2002 after my return from abroad, I decided to have a exhibition in Colombo. I was in search of a art gallery or a hotel to exhibit my paintings.

I could not get any place. Finally I spoke to the P.R.O. at Hotel Oberoi and explained my need. She suggested to me that I meet Tilake Abeysinghe since he had booked one of their halls for an exhibition but not confirmed. Yet if he is not going ahead with the exhibition.

I could obtain the hall if he is willing to give it to me on the dates that he has reserved. Since Tilake was a good friend of mine I immediately went to his place at Moratuwa. He was delighted to see me after a long absence and offered to give me the hall cancelling his dates, and more over he gave me his stands free to hang my pictures. If I were to borrow the stands it would have been very costly.

Here, it reminds me that famous saying "a friend in need is a friend in deed", and that is Tilake Abeysinghe. A wonderful human being. Tilake says modern art in brief takes many forms and is only a matter of personal taste.

Yet the whole evolution is wonderful aspect of our age that never was in any period in the past. Tilake Abeysinghe's paintings are great because they come out of the goodness of his heart. And little by little the public grew to understand the greatness of his paintings as well as the goodness of his heart. Tilake loved to caress his canvas.

He painted a series of women bathers in the nude - firm and fleshy "Painting a woman" remarked a friend, "excited Tilake even more than embracing her". The art lovers were astonished at his frank adoration of the human form. Yet it is in the proper understanding of Tilake's sensuality that we may find the clue to his art. Tilake Abeysinghe was not merely sensual in the ordinary sense of the word. He was more than that; he was a genius who sublimated sensuality into beauty.