Richard Gabriel:

The maestro who outlived his colleagues

by Thilak Paliyaguruge

Until his demise at the age of 92, in Melbourne, Australia, precisely on his birthday on February 19, Richard Gabriel was the only surviving member of the 43 Group.

He was an unassuming, deeply religious individual born in the Deep South, Matara. He took up residence in Colombo to educate his children.

His Alma Mater, St. Peter's College, further enhanced his aptitude for painting. A stalwart of the '43 Group, Ivan Pieris paved the path for Richard Gabriel to get seriously involved in painting under the patronage of the '43 Group. It was Harry Pieris of 'The Sapumal Foundation' who further encouraged Richard Gabriel to rise up as an artist.

A painting done by him on impulse on the impact of the war that clouded our skies on April 5, 1942, the day Japan launched an air attack on the city of Colombo, brought him to limelight when it was exhibited at the War Effort Exhibition in Colombo. He won four prizes and gained remarkable recognition as a student at this exhibition.

He met the young art teacher, Sita Kulasekera, his future wife, at the Cora Abraham School of Art in 1951.

When Lionel Wendt formed the '43 Group, Gabriel became one of the foremost members. He grew up among the rest of its members who belonged to various aesthetic disciplines with diverse talents. Richard Gabriel exhibited his painting alongside George Keyt, Justin Deraniyagala, Geoffrey Beling, Harry Pieris, Aubrey Collette, L.T.P. Manjusri and George Classen.

He was awarded a scholarship by the British Council to study at The Chelsea College of Art in 1952. This paved the way for him to achieve a formal training in art in a foreign country. He also practised wood carving, etching, sculpture and murals as a parallel discipline, for which he could fetch record prices. His art work could be seen at religious sites and churches such as St Theresa's Church at Thimbirigasyaya, Statue of Christ for The Jesuit Father at Clifford Place, and woodcuts at National Seminary, Ampitiya and few other places of Christian worship in our country.

He gave up his career in teaching at St Joseph's College in order to get seriously involved in his vocation. His paintings were woven around the typical charm of ordinary rural life in Sri Lanka and he captured topics for his paintings from its natural surroundings, which were successfully exhibited at International Galleries such as the Imperial Institute Galleries in Kensington, London in 1952 and The Venice Biennales in 1950 and 1958. In 1959 he exhibited at the Sao Paulo Biennale. His paintings are among the permanent collection at The Musee de Petit Palais in Paris.

He migrated to Australia with his children in 2002, after the demise of his wife, and was deeply engrossed in painting thereafter.

(The writer is the Vice President of the Sri Lanka Art Educationists Association)