Wednesday, June 9, 2010

DALADA MALIGAWA KANDY

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Sunday, June 6, 2010

A.C.G.S.AMARASEKARA (1883-1983) PORTRAIT -1966 OIL ON CANVAS 71 X 56 CM


see more.. http://www.theserendibgallery.com/Gere14.html
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Feeding With Love ..Artist: Jayasiri Semage

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HISTORY OF PAINTING & SCULPTURE IN SRI LANKA Jagath Weerasinghe

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Sri Lanka is an island civilization with a long, rich and colourful history. Its pivotal position in the ancient Silk Road, that functioned as a cultural highway between the East and West, has given this island a cosmopolitan character since pre-Christian times. In the inscriptions of a Mauryan Emperor of India in the 3rd century BC, Sri Lanka was referred to as Tambapani. He names it as one of the countries to which he had extended his benevolent services. Onesicritus of Astipalacia who was among the convoy of Alexander the Great in his eastern campaigns (326 to 323BC) referred to Sri Lanka as Taprobana.




The writings and cartography of the Greek geographer Ptolemy or Claudes Ptolomeus of Alexandria of 2nd century AD presents us with an account of Sri Lanka, its topography, economy and culture, showing the extent of contacts that existed between Sri Lanka and the west in the ancient times.


The ancient Indians called Sri Lanka the Sieladiba (Pali Sihaladipa).

An epigraphic record of this name has been found in an inscription of Asoka, in the Tinnevely district of Tamilnadu in South India.

In an inscription of the 4th century Gupta Emperor Samudragupta, Sri Lanka is referred to as Sainhalaka, the Land of the Sinhalas.

Sri Lankan links with the rest of the Asia has been as extensive as with the West and the Indian subcontinent. Chinese sources refer to many occasions of cultural, political and trade exchanges between the two countries. The maritime expeditions of Cheng Ho are a clear indication of the sustained links between Sri Lanka and China. However, the links with China waned with the expansion of European power in the Indian Ocean.

The history of Sri Lankan painting and sculpture can be traced as far back as to the 2nd or 3rd century BC. The ancient historical chronicles of Sri Lanka; such as the Mahavamsa, written in the 6th century AD has numerous references to the art of painting and sculpture in Sri Lanka. The earliest reference in the art of painting is to the drawing of a palace on cloth using cinnabar in the 2nd century BC. The ancient chronicles have description of various examples of paintings in the relic-chambers of Buddhist stupas, and in monastic residence. Fragmentary remains of early wall paintings have been recorded from various archaeological sites. The Mahavamsa also refers to numerous description of sculptures and carvings in ancient buildings such as at the Loha Pasada, a monastic residence in the ancient city of Anuradhapura.

In many ways Sri Lankan art is an expression of its long and enduring Buddhist tradition that has absorbed and internalised numerous regional and local traditions for thousands of years. The Indian mark in the Sri Lankan art is obvious and deep, it has not inhibited the formation of a distinctly Sri Lankan tradition in the arts. The persistence and the strength of this distinctly Sri Lankan character can be noticed in Buddha images of Anuradhapura and in the bronze sculptures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses made in the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa dating from the 11th to 13th centuries.

Many art historians treat Sri Lankan art in relation to successive 'Kingdoms' that ruled the island from about 2nd century BC to the 19th century AD. While this type of periodisation has been extremely useful in reconstructing the history of art, the 'Kingdom' and 'King' centered approach to history of art does not pay sufficient respect to the broad stylistic continuities and changes that the practice of painting and sculpture in Sri Lanka show in its long history. Traditional historiography presents Sri Lankan art in terms of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Kotte, Gampola and Kandy, the successive kingdoms of pre-modern Sri Lanka. In this essay, however, following Senake Badaranayake (1986), the history of painting and sculpture is presented considering the broad stylistic similarities and changes of the Sri Lankan painting tradition. The historical phases of the island are divided into five periods as:

1. Early Historical period: 250BC - 500AD

2. Middle Historical period: 500AD - 1250AD

3. Late Historical Period - 1: 1250AD - 1600AD

4. Late Historical Period - 2: 1600AD - 1800AD

5. Modern Historical Period: 1800AD - 1900AD (Bandaranayake 1986).

These periods are treated in relation to the broad stylistic changes that can be delineated from the history of art practice in pre-modern Sri Lanka.(http://www.artsrilanka.org/)
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“Minds Eye” by Druvinka

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“Tropical Bonanza” by Shehan Madawela

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“Stupa” by Leela Bandaranaike Peries

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Shalini Ganendra Fine Art


Certainly there are many fine Sri Lankan artists that are known to the larger community, but there are those individuals and organizations that help publicize and support Sri Lankan artists behind the scenes that are less well known. A prime model is the Shalini Ganendra Fine Art Gallery (SGFA). Established in Malaysia in 1998, the Gallery aims to present and promote contemporary art from emerging regions to both local and international audiences.

Since its inception, the Gallery has been a vital force in presenting great and skillful Sri Lankan talents to South East Asia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Modern Masters such as George Keyt and Ivan Peries and contemporary artists Leela Bandaranaike Peries, Shehan Madawela, and Druvinka have each had their introduction through the Gallery. As an establishment that works to promote Sri Lankan artists, Shalini Ganendra Fine Art seeks to continue presenting creative art and ideas, and is always on the lookout for new, distinguished talents.

Shalini Ganendra, director of SGFA, has long found herself surrounded by the arts. While not an artist herself, she has been surrounded by artists within her own family. Her grand uncle, Justin Deraniyagala Pieris, was a member of the ’43 Group – a band of artists who sought to break away from the rigidity and austere form of traditional Victorian art. Ganendra’s grandfather, Ashmore Pieris, was also an artist, and much of her immediate and extended family collect art on a small scale. Before the formation of the Shalini Ganendra Fine Art Gallery, Ganendra had practiced law with a Wall Street firm in New York and London for a number of years. After moving to Malaysia, a combination of factors led her to establish SGFA (initially known as The Private Gallery). The Gallery was brought into existence with Ganendra’s idea of “living with art” – a concept, according to Ganendra, which emphasizes the enjoyment of art as part of one’s lifestyle and not solely for its investment value.

The SGFA Gallery exhibits the works of mid-level and established artists who display strong technique, presentation, ideas, work ethic, and professionalism. In her own words, Ganendra explains that the SGFA Gallery “focuses on art that can be lived with and that is created by artists who aim to produce museum quality work in all mediums.” Ganendra believes that good aesthetic talent, an inquisitive mind, and strong discipline are key traits that allow for creation of artistic work more likely to make an imprint in developing art history. The Gallery displays paintings, works on paper, sculpture, photography, art textile, and art ceramics.

As the SGFA Gallery grew, so too did its audience, and the need arose to establish a Western consultancy office. The consultancy practice is a vital part of the Gallery’s functioning, and works to advise clients on a selection of works, managing collections, sourcing and selling works, liaising with auction houses, and much more.

In 2005, the Gallery organized the first presentation of Sri Lankan contemporary art, Colours of Karma, at the Nehru Centre in London. Subsequently, in 2006, 2007, and 2008, the Gallery exhibited a joint presentation of Sri Lankan and Malaysian contemporary art during New York’s Asia Week.

Modern Sri Lankan artist George Keyt and Ivan Peries were each distinguished painters in their own right. As part of the early modernist art movement in Sri Lanka, Keyt and Peries produced works unlike other painters of their time. Both displayed a strong ability to render the ordinary subject in ways that had hitherto been unknown. Leela Bandaranaike Peries is an inspired Sri Lankan sculptor whose solid bronze works continue to be displayed internationally. There is a great amount of appreciation for the quality of her work, the individuality of each bronze piece, and the fact that she is behind each piece of art from start to finish. She has worked exclusively with the SGFA Gallery to present her work to international audiences for many years.

The Gallery has also represented Stanley Kirinde, a self-taught artist whose works have been featured and collected internationally. Kirinde was appreciative of the Gallery’s efforts to represent his artwork, which the Gallery continues to carry today. His elegant works caught the eyes of numerous international collectors. Ganendra comments, “It was a pleasure to work with him.”

Self-taught contemporary painter Shehan Madawela, whom Sri Lanka Foundation recently featured in its magazine, is another one of SGFA’s long-standing artists. Madawela’s art often reverberates with Sri Lankan historical and mythological themes as well as conveying the lesser told stories of modern excesses. Likewise, contemporary artist painter and printmaker Druvinka is heralded for strong technique and subliminal investigations. In line with the roots of her training at Santhiniketan, she blends symbols, lines, and colors in elegant collage based works. These artists are just a few of the talents supported by the SGFA Gallery.

Though Sri Lankan contemporary artists as a group still have a distance to go before they are recognized for their work collectively or as artists of a common ethnic background, the distinction of styles and thought are reassuring to the processes of individual creativity – which is a focus of contemporary art movements. However, few if at all any could be said to represent Sri Lankan contemporary artists as a whole. According to Ganendra, the more established artists have developed what may be considered signature styles, yet even these styles are subject to change as artists continue to explore different themes, ideas, and techniques. Undoubtedly, common grief is a subject that is well-represented in Sri Lankan contemporary art – topics that touch on ethnic strife, rural poverty, and even the recent tsunami disaster. However, there are endless issues that are brought to the fore in the art world.

The Modernist Group of ’43 still remains the most recognized art movement in Sri Lanka. Some artists from this group have works of theirs that are part of major museum collections. Being a part of such public collections is important for many reasons, but notably for the fact that these great Sri Lankan artists and their works are being exposed to wider audiences, enlightened art criticism, and global curatorship. It is necessary and vital to consider the valuable time and great effort on the part of many promoters, authors, collectors, patrons, and artists to bring themselves to such a level.

While there are indeed many Sri Lankan artists around the world, there is an underrepresentation of those numbers in international art competitions. Recently, Ganendra served as Chief Judge at the Commonwealth Arts & Crafts Awards – a prestigious biennial competition organized by The Commonwealth Foundation. She was disappointed by the lack of participation by Sri Lankan talent. Globally, there are numerous programs that invite and support the exhibition of a variety of art forms, and it is certainly the hope of art supporters like the SGFA Gallery that more Sri Lankan artists step up to the challenge of presenting their works in different environments, both cultural and academic, to ensure that art, especially in the Sri Lankan scene, continues to develop. The Gallery intends to establish an art residency program in the near future which would see winners of art competitions from Sri Lanka spending months in Malaysia to expand their artistic experience and reach.
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මගේ මෙම වෙබ් අඩවිය අතිශයෙන්ම කලා හැකියවන් ඇති සහ කලාත්මක ඇසක් ඇති අය සදහා පමණි....


This site is only for artist and art lovers ....
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