Kalasuri Dr. Jayasiri Semage’s solo art exhibition, Chronicle of love will be held at Lionel Wendt
Art Gallery
from April 4 to 6. Paintings employing historical themes will be featured at
the event. “These paintings were a challenge. I had to recreate the costumes
and jewelry that were used in the times of kings, how they dressed, the
environment and most of it are creations of my imagination,” said Semage. “I
think this would be a great opportunity for Sri Lankan art lovers and school
children to learn something about both art and history,” he added.
Semage has become an icon in the Sri Lankan art sphere with
his unique style. Conquering the local and foreign art galleries he promoted
his unique Sri Lankan painting styles and the country’s name simultaneously
from 1956. Like Geoffrey Bawa or Solias Mendis, today, Semege too has become a
landmark in the history of Sri Lankan art. He spoke to The Nation about his
childhood, achievements and the upcoming art exhibition on this week’s ‘Notebook
of an achiever’.
He was a key person in President Premadasa’s Gam Udawa
program. He created the pandal in at the entrance of the Gam Udawa site, which
became an identity of the program. He contributed to the program as the main
artist from 1982 to 1992. The jumbo Buddhist pandal he created at the entrance
to Asia Pacific Exhibition, Fukuoka,
Japan in 1989
still tops the list among his great achievements. He also mentioned his
painting which was selected for permanent display at the United Nations Hall in
Geneva, Switzerland in 2006.
In 1995 Kalasuri Semage
held his first international exhibition in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia,
on an invitation by the Lanka Kala
Sangamaya. According to him this exhibition resulted in an invitation to
paint murals at the Buddhist Vihara in Malaysia
and Mangala Vihara in Singapore.
He considers the murals in the Sri Maha Bodhirama Purana Vihara in
Divulapitiya, Borelasgamuwa as one of his gifts to the country. “I remembered Geoffrey Bawa and Solias Mendis
and what they gifted to the country. I thought of doing something similar
and the Divulapitiya Purana Viharaya was the ideal place for it,” he iterated.
Semage has published three books to date. His first art
collection Ridma Rekha, a book on traditional decorative
motifs in Sri Lanka
was published in 1996. Chithra Lekha, a
collection of line drawings was published this year. Prof Bandara reviewing his
paintings once wrote that Semage’s art could be identified as his, even without
his signature on the painting. He said that the unique characteristics of his
paintings had created a strong identity than his signature. His paintings had the distinct Sri Lankan flavor with Liyavel and Hansa Puttuwa
and if examined closely, curves and brush lines will help one to recognize
the rhythm of his painting.
“I give prominence to the
rhythm, topics, color schemes and beauty. I never draw violent things like
blood or murders. My art should be peaceful and beautiful, something that gives
pleasure to others,” he iterated. “Who would want to buy violent art and hang
it somewhere where they see them all the time?” he queried. Most of his
paintings illustrate human beings. Animals or landscapes are rare. When asked
why, he said that he didn’t want to paint landscapes or sceneries since most of
the artists do this. “I see the beauty in human beings, therefore I choose to
draw them,” he said.
Flower art
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