Fifty eight paintings if I counted right at the SRI LANKA ART 2018 at the J.D.A. Perera Gallery presented by the George Keyt Foundation and sponsored by Nations Trust Bank was a great feast for the eyes that were done in a multitude of watercolour, Chinese Ink, Acrylics, Oil on canvas, line drawing, Pastels etc. You name it, they were there; splashing landscapes, portraiture, nudes, and many subjects on artistic preference. They varied in compositions, light-effects, and subject matter with graceful women taking priority.
The exhibits hanging proudly on the walls made it obvious that Sri Lanka was bounteous in her enormous artistic ability and that we lacked nothing short of the living masters in other parts of the world. The sensitivity, emotional-beauty and dignity come easily to our painters whether young or old: novice or the experienced that is inherent and inculcated in their genes.
Aspiring artists
A collective group of artists were given the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents by the George Keyt Foundation and drew a large number of art lovers and aspiring artists.
Their skills varied and so did their medium to place their visuals on palates in a combination of colour mixing from sombre to arabesque fury.
There were many that caught drew my attention in spite all artworks being excellent or litter short of it. Sadly I found nothing or very little George Keyt influence in their art.
Face to face with a slight resemblance to a famous mural done by Ludolf Cackhuysen called The Storm At Sea was Nihal Sangabo Dias's BOAT; oil on canvas stretching to 99 x 122 cm.
The storm has settled for Dias to radiate on his blue/green combination to surface the calm after a storm.
There is life in the painting as the fishermen struggle which is a magnificent subject for an artist.
I thought Sampath Amunugama from St. Thomas College was unique in his untitled painting using Acrylic Charcoal on paper. Very cheap material for a classic and to experiment upon.
So were the figure studies of Michael Anthonisz confining himself to Chinese Ink Wash on Rice Paper and secondly Pen and Ink and Watercolour on Paper.
Both artists displayed the ability to break away from traditional colour combinations.
Eye contact
The most outstanding painting of the lot because of its mesmerizing authenticity in creating our heritage on eye contact and taking us back to our civilization in a matter of seconds.
Pride of history found between the lines and simply done in Ink on Paper to stretch at 21 x 30cm was disappointing to me because the painting should have been at least 104 x 97cm. Artist Gamini Abeykoon missed a point there when he had the opportunity to sizzle. Nevertheless, here is a painter who can reveal our proud civilization on eye contact.
The Girl And The Cow, oil on canvas, 65 x 65. Sujatha Wanamali Malalnayake has come up with a close-up painting on her chosen subject, depicting the girl's love for the cow the way she holds on tenderly, leaning against the animal.
Apparently, she has milked the cow as shown in the pitcher she is carrying.
It is a typical story of a village lass in our rural.
Her hands are inappropriate if one were to judge her long fingers. However, the cow compensates for the little miss with its loving eyes responding to the girl's touch.
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