Dharmasiri Kariyawasam :

His art portrays scenes of everyday life

Never was a period in the life of a nation better suited to the emergence of an artist than the 21st century in Sri Lanka. To be sure he is not only an artist, but also a sculptor, writer, philosopher and poet rolled into one. He hails from Weligama in the South, a village endowed with rich soil, warm sunlight and rain. And above all, its beautiful scenery depicted a natural canvas of valley, creating a fertile ground for artists.

Dharmasiri was born on April 14, 1924 as the son of an extremely wealthy landowner. His father Kariyawasam Gamage Andrious was a farmer and a building contractor who had three sons.

The youngest is Dharmasiri Kariyawasam who had a talent for painting. When he reached the age of 14 certain magnetic forces had already set the compass of his genius.

One of his paintings

Dharmasiri Kariyawasam

He obtained his basic education at the Poruthota Boys' School and completed his schooling at the Maharamba Boys' School. To pursue his studies in art he went to Colombo and joined the School of Fine Arts where the late J.D.A. Perera was the principal. Here he came under reputed art teachers of the era and completed a three year course in drawing, painting and sculpture.

In 1949 Dharmasiri obtained the Art Teachers' certificate and later taught art at Kandy Gurudeniya Vidyalaya. In 1952 he worked as the chief artist in the Fisheries Department. He was responsible for designing the Fisheries Department logo 'Ceyfish'.

It paved the way for him to create a number of logos and to be the chief artist and layout designer for the monthly magazine published by the Fisheries Department. In 1952 under the Colombo Plan cultural exhibition he designed the Sri Lanka stall. In 1972 he was responsible for designing four Fisheries Department stamps.

The lyrical quality of his sculptures is evident in his creations. He sculptured a statue of Parakramabahu at the Vihara Mahadevi Park, Colombo. To impart his knowledge and skill to the younger generation he started teaching at art schools in 1952 in various city centres. The training programs were for drawing, painting and sculpture.

The school known as Kala Sevana gave birth to many young artists and sculptors who are prominent in the field.

His creations include waterfalls, rivers, bridges and a range of mountains in the background. Every tree, flower and tuft of grass is brought out with precision that show Dharmasiri's sensitiveness towards nature. Dharmasiri is a colourist.

He turned the dark moody browns, yellows and ultramarine blues of his own original imagination. No two expressions are the same. Yet, the entire painting represents a single harmonious effect. A perfect blending of colours baffles art lovers. He artistically recorded village life, the sufferings of humanity and realistic scenes of everyday life.

Dharmasiri stands out as one of the most talented Sri Lankan painters. After his retirement from the government service as a teacher he devotes much of his time teaching children. He has held many art exhibitions in Sri Lanka and participated in group exhibitions abroad. Dharmasiri has served as an art instructor at the Ceylon Society of Arts in painting and sculpture. He has also held the post of Art Exhibition Secretary, Treasurer and Vice President of the Ceylon Society of Arts Colombo.