Pathmasiri Ranaweera:

Amazingly ambidextrous

By Husna Inayathullah

Ambidexterity is a unique feature or a talent in a person. Some people are born ambidextrous and some become ambidextrous due to certain incidents in their lives. I was really amazed to see an ambidextrous artist at the ‘Kala Pola’ recently.

Anyone would pause at his stall and glance at the remarkable talent of the artist. He used both his hands to draw human portraits. He was the one and only artist among all the other artists who possessed such a skill.

Pathmasiri Ranaweera who was born and bred in Harispaththuwa, Kandy is talented in drawing portraits using both his hands.

He is a graduate from the University of the Visual and Performing Arts Colombo. At present he is working as an art teacher at Ananda College, Kandy. In an interview with Montage Ranaweera said, “I became an ambidextrous painter after a pathetic situation which occurred in my life. I had to undergo a surgery for right neck abscess and unfortunately the surgery became a failure. This became an obstacle for my studies and drawing. It made me discontinue my university studies in 2007.”

Ambidexterity is the state of being equally adept in the use of both left and right. It is one of the most famous varieties of cross-dominance. People who are naturally ambidextrous are uncommon, with only one out of one-hundred people being naturally ambidextrous. The degree of versatility with each hand is generally the qualitative factor in determining a person's ambidexterity.

Childhood

In modern times, it is more common to find people considered ambidextrous who were originally left handed and who learned to be ambidextrous, either deliberately or during childhood institutions such as schools or jobs where right-handed habits are often emphasized or needed.

Right-handers may become ambidextrous due to an injury of their right hand or arm. Ambidexterity is often encouraged in activities requiring a great deal of skill in both hands, such as knitting, typing on a computer, juggling, swimming, baseball. Boxing, martial arts and basketball.

He said, “After that surgery I found it very difficult to raise my right hand. It was discovered that a nerve had been damaged severely after consulting a neurologist. The muscles of my right shoulder began to waste. In 2008 I was admitted to the General hospital in Kandy. While I was undergoing treatment in the ward, I started to draw some portraits.

Treatment

“An art teacher, Ananda Bulathgama was getting treatment in the same ward in which I was. I often saw an artist called Thilak Palihaguruge visiting him. He saw me drawing portraits and was happy. Palihaguruge spoke to me and helped me to conduct a solo portrait exhibition of mine at the Alliance Francaise in Kandy after I was discharged from the hospital.

“In 2009 I got an opportunity to consult Dr. Saman Kapilawansa who was the senior doctor of the respiratory disease treatment unit at the General Hospital, Kandy. He sent me to the rehabilitation hospital in Digana for physiotherapy and practising left hand.

“I was admitted to the Rehabilitation hospital Digana in 2009. Under the guidance of occupational therapists, H.P. Soma and Thanoja Muthulingam, I began to train my left hand for writing. At this hospital too, I drew portraits of some patients.

“While getting treatment at this hospital I missed two years at the university and lost my privileges as a student.”

Social Service director Wimal Rathnayaka and Social Service officer A.V. Sriyani Reka intermediated to this problem to get back my privileges.

“In 2010 I entered the university again for studies. I used both my left and right hands for drawing and paintings.

Siblings

“Many of my portraits and paintings at this time showed sorrow and despair. I succeeded in obtaining my degree with second upper class in 2013. At present I use both my hands simultaneously and draw portraits.”

Ranaweera plays the guitar as his leisure time activity. He studied at Nugawela Central College, Kandy.

His father passed away when he was a small school going child. His mother had bought them up. He is the youngest of the five siblings in his family. He says that his elder sister helped and encouraged him a lot to become a portraitist.

His elder brother who is an art teacher influenced him to become an artist. While Ranaweera was studying in the second year at the university, his desire for learning portrait art was growing.

During this time a portrait painting by him won first place at the competition of the state art and sculpture festival.

He won many awards and prizes for his portrait drawings. His portrait drawings can be seen on You Tube as well.

Ranaweera has got the second place at the all-island poster competitions on HIV/AIDS held in 2009, first place in the category of Traditional Art (“Bali Shanthi Karma”) at W.D. Makuloluwa and C.DC.S. Kulathilaka Memorial Competition held in 2009.

He has also won second place in the category of portrait at annual and Craft Exhibition of the Ceylon Society of Arts at the Art Gallery Colombo 7 in September 2010.