On the trail of Ananda Coomaraswami

‘Creative writing must be included in the syllabus’ - Sampath Bandara

 

 

For veteran journalist Sampath Bandara, Ananda Coomarswamy is a marvelous character. Bandara said that the characteristics he learnt while reading about this personality inspired him to write a book. “Everything about him surprises me,” said Bandara. Bandara has done research on this legendary personality for the past five years and he will be launching his book about Dr. Coomaraswamy’s life and work, on July 3.

“There weren’t much information about his personal life. Many have requested permission from him to write his biography, but he has declined for unknown reasons,” said Bandara. According to Bandara, no other artiste compares to Ananda Coomarswamy in any generation after him. “Prof Senarath Paranawithana is comparable. This will be challenged, but what I say comes from what I learnt from my research,” he said.

Bandara is from Udunuwara, Embakke in Kandy District and received his school education from Kingswood College, Kandy. Sampath is the only son of K.R Attanayake and Daya Attanayake. Currently, he is employed at the Associated Newspaper of Ceylon Limited. His journalism career spans over two decades. He is also a talented lyricist and a creative writer. “It was a twist of fate that I joined journalism. I didn’t have plans to become one. But I wrote poems and songs and sent them to newspapers. Eventually they were published and I become more enthusiastic,” he said. He mentioned how late veteran Dharmasiri Gamage, whom he refers to as his guru in the field, kindly helped him to establish himself in the field as a young journalist. Later Bandara joined a cinema newspaper edited by Ernest Waduge. In 1993, he got the opportunity to join the Dinamina editorial at Lake House.

His keen interest in cricket during his school years at Kingswood College came in handy during his carrier in journalism. His capabilities in sports reporting directed him onto sports journalism. Because of his interest in cricket, he received the opportunity to cover a large number of Test and One Day International (ODI) matches in England, Australia, India, Pakistan, Sharjah and Sri Lanka. He has also covered a many major sporting events all over the world. “I got to report sports because they knew I was keen on the subject,” he explained how he became a sports journalist. “I got to travel to different countries; I obtained a lot of experiences. Yet, my interest in arts remained unchanged,” he added.

He has written a number of biographies including Ananda Coomaraswamy - The life and works of a universal man, Murali - The greatest among the greatest (Muttiah Muralitharan’s biography), She is Sonia (Sonia Gandhi’s biography) and several books on sports literature including the biography of Usain Bolt. Sampath Bandara’s latest book, Ananda Coomaraswamy - The life and works of a universal man will be launch on July 3 at 3.30 pm at the National Library and Documentation Services Board Auditorium.

Speaking of his latest biography, he emphasized that Ananda Coomaraswamy is a great legend that Sri Lanka didn’t know the value of, that no one has stepped up to do a proper research about him and his work. “When I was in England, I started collecting information about different personalities including Ananda Coomaraswamy. I became a member of the British library, London and got access to a huge collection of books and pictures of him,” he said.

Ananda Coomarswamy is known as a universal artiste. He gave Sri Lankan art and culture a new name. Yet, unfortunately, Ananda Coomarswamy who was admired across the globe as a pioneering historian and philosopher of art was only known to Sri Lankans because of Ananda Coomarswamy Mawatha in Colombo 7. Today this road’s name was changed to Nelum Pokuna Mawatha scrapping the only symbol that reminded us of Dr. Coomaraswamy.

“He is known as the best Asian critic of the 20th Centaury. DB Danapala once said that, ‘Ananda Coomaraswamy was known from Chile to China, but unknown to Sri Lanka.’ I am not sure why this happened, it wasn’t clear to me too although I did years of research,” Bandara said.

Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy born in Sri Lanka 135 years ago and grew up in England was the one who taught the West, the way to approach and understand the arts of Asia. His whole life was dedicated to the study and exposition of culture and arts. Graduated in geology from the University of London, He served in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) as an active geologist and mineralogist and achieved recognition as a renowned scientist by a series of very impressive discoveries. Later he became the Curator of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and died in 1947 aged 70.

Sampath Bandara said that it took him more than five years for him to gather information about this great legend. “I read books written about him as well as books written by him. His early work was easy to read and understand. But his books on metaphysics were too hard,” he noted. “I think he is an extraordinary character. He has written over 50 books within the 43 year period he was an author. There are more than 500 articles he wrote on various topics,” Bandara added. As Bandara mentioned, Ananda Coomarswamy knew over 35 languages and was fluent in 13 of them.

He took Coomaraswamy’s literary work to explain how a publisher or a writer should be creative in creating a book. “If you take a book of Coomaraswamy written more than hundred years ago, it would still match the quality of a coffee table book you find today.  He has paid much interest on the outlook of the book as much as he was keen on the content. His aim was to produce a complete artistry. Best example for this is his book Rajput Paintings,” he explained. He said that it is a shame that we can’t find the book Rajput Paintings in any of the libraries in Sri Lanka.

Bandara has written several books on sports literature, including the biographies of Murali, Arjuna Ranatunge, Usain Bolt and the cricket history and the story of T20 cricket.  Being a sports journalist for over two decades, Sampath Bandara said that the Sri Lankan society doesn’t have a habit of reading on sports and prefers watching sports on television. He also mentioned how people were interested in reading the sports page of a newspaper and how it is threatened now by the websites and sports SMS alerts. He said that although Sri Lanka was awarded Test Match status over 35 years ago, we still have not received this status when it comes to cricket literature. 

“We only watch the game, we don’t go beyond this. We watch the game only for the sake of its entertainment,” he pointed out.  He also said that he didn’t get any responses to the books he wrote on sports literature. “I didn’t receive any feedback. But I wasn’t much discouraged,” he continued. “It was my hobby and I had wanted to become a pioneer of sports literature in Sri Lanka,” he said.  “But when there is no positive feedback, the book publishers get discouraged. They don’t do it for fun. That is there way of earning money,” he explained why the book publishers don’t show much interest in publishing books on sports literature. 

He also said that the reading habit of the Sri Lankan is gradually declining where it has limited only to the International Book Fair held in September. “I am worried whether this habit of reading books will not be there anymore in another generation or two,” he lamented.

When he was asked why reading sports is important, Bandara said that it is important for a person to have a better understanding on what he or she looks at and it will also be reference to the future generation who seeks information.   “Few decades ago, cricket was confided only to the scoreboard, even in England. But a writer named, Neville Cardus changed the whole system. He became a guru and inspirational figure to aspiring young writers to write about sports. He was a reviewer of music. But he was able to convert the scoreboard into a story,” he explained.  “There is a trend in the world today for sports literature. Our country is still not aware of it,” he emphasized. Although we are not aware, Bandara said that countries like Australia, England and even India has a keen interest on sports literature. Bandara has struggled to promote this for more than 20 years, but has failed.

He further said that it will be more difficult to promote cricket literature now that the T20 matches are becoming more and more popular. “T20 is like gambling. It has destroyed the aesthetic value of the game. It’s all about big shots and big money. No one can write literature about T20, unlike the five day test matches,” he opined. “Sri Lankan can only speak about cricket. If one writes about sports, it will also be about cricket,” he added. Sampath Bandara wrote about the history of Sri Lanka Athletics in 2008. “We have a rich history in athletics. We had great world class athletes. It’s a shame that we can’t produce such personalities anymore,” he reiterated. “Even if we are to write about athletics in Sri Lanka, writers can only manage to come up with a few historical incidents. There is no today and no tomorrow to write about. We can only boast of cricket and it will also be destroyed by T20 culture,” he exclaimed.

He also spoke about the new generation of journalists. According to him, young journalists lack interest in seeking knowledge. “They have the habit of depending on the data they can get from the internet,” he said. “Unlike when we were young, young journalists today don’t appreciate the company of veterans in the field. They seek shortcuts,” he said. “When we entered the field, we could talk to the giants in the field and ask them for advice. Now I see that, some don’t even care if those seniors come and talk to them. There are no shortcuts in this field. They won’t be able to succeed if they don’t go step by step,” he added.

As he pointed out, a journalist cannot rely on what he or she reads on the internet. They tend to believe that all information can be found on the net, therefore don’t want to waste time looking up books. “There isn’t much information about Sri Lanka on the net. Even the little information available, you cannot rely on,” he emphasized. 

Sampath Bandara also pointed out the importance of introducing creative writing to the school or university curriculum. He said that it is a significant limitation for a person who wants to study about writing or journalism. “None of the literature syllabuses in our country has creative writing as a subject. Moreover, we don’t have a proper journalism degree for the students to follow. This is why today’s books and newspapers lack creativity,” he pointed out.

 

‘None of the literature syllabuses in our country has creative writing as a subject. It is a significant limitation for a person who wants to study about writing or journalism. Moreover, we don’t have a proper journalism degree for students to follow. This is why books and newspapers lack creativity’

The making of Navarathna Gamage

Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

Some people know what they want to do as early as when they are kids. Yet some of them have to abandon their childhood dreams when they see they cannot win life by traveling along those chosen paths. They will also remember what they dreamt of, what they wanted to become. When they receive an opportunity, they will not hesitate to fulfill their dreams and achieve what they really wanted. Veteran musician Navarathna Gamage, who is fondly known as Nava in the field, is one such person who received the opportunity to fulfill his childhood dream quite late. Despite the odds he fully realized his dreams. His music career is one of the best examples to prove the idiom ‘better late than never’.

Gamage was born and raised in Gangodawila, Nugegoda. Although this place is packed with motor spare part shops and tall fat buildings, he recalled how beautiful the village was, when he was a child and how he was influenced by the intellectuals there. He specifically mentioned Nugegoda Sumanasara Dharma Vidyalaya and Subadrarama Pirivena.  “I did not come from a rich family, but my family was rich in family values. My dharma School and Balika Niwasa nearby were the main places in the village which enriched the village with cultural values. Balika Niwasa is the place where I watched a movie, Ranwan Karal for the first time. All this influenced me to become what I am today,” he recalled.  He said that the village environment made him curious about art and literature, especially music during his childhood. “Noorthi, Sokari and Vesak drama led the cultural events in the village. These events laid the foundation for my journey,” he said. He also recalled how he was appreciated as a school singer as well as the leading singer of the dharma school. 

Although young Gamage was curious about art, culture and literature, he had to pursue a professional career in a technical field. He was selected to the Colombo Commercial Engineers Company to study Engineering. “I was the eldest in the family and I didn’t have plans to pursue a carrier in the music field. I was only a fan of art and literature,” he said. Yet, when he started traveling daily to Colombo he started to meet young enthusiasts like him, who aroused his old curiosity about aesthetics. “I was a knowledge seeker at the village library, Chandra Pradeepa Library. Later I found this at the Colombo Public Library. I met people like me there, who were interested in arts, society, culture as well as politics. These new people reminded me about my old interests,” he recollected.  

During that time Gamage was economically independent as a youth and he realized that he could now follow his interests and chose music to satisfy his curiosity. His disapamok was maestro B Victor Perera. He started making his contributions to the theater during the same period. The first stage play he contributed towards as a singer was Reginald Jayamanne’s Vikal Samayama in 1986.  Deepthi Kumara Gunaratne’s drama Niruwatha in 1987 was the first time Gamage directed music for a stage play. 

Prof Ediriweera Sarachchandra staged Maname in 1956 for the first time. Twenty years later, Gamage received the opportunity to become a member of Maname team. “I was selected as a B grade Nadagam singer at Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. And I was lucky enough that I got to speak to Prof. Sarachchandra. When he asked me to come and join the drama group, I was more than surprised. I worked with them for over eight years,” he reminisced.  He was also a member of the dramas Mahasaara, Lomahansa, Bawakadathurawa and Pematho. 

He believes that the opportunities he received to become a background vocalist in Nanda Malini’s Sathyaye Geethaya show and to join Somalatha Subasingha’s workshops as important events in his life. In 1996, he was certain that he had to abandon the professional career and become a fulltime musician. He stated to receive invitations to create music for stage dramas, teledramas and films. In less than two decades Gamage was able to reach the top in the Sri Lankan music field. He also mentioned that meeting Yasanath Dhammika Bandara was another milestone in his journey. “He invited me to compose music for four of his songs, including Gana thel sandun waralasa, Walakulu pelin basinna and Suwanda mal. I couldn’t believe when those songs became hits and I started getting the attention of the media,” he said.

Gamage continuously received invitations from the television channels to compose music for programs as well as from teledrama directors and singers to compose melodies. Gamage’s next milestone was when he was asked to direct music for cinema. “My first invitation for a film music direction was Inoka Sathyanganee’s Sulang Kirilli. Simultaneously, I received invitations for four more films including Pura Sakmana

Sudu Kaluwara and Sathkampa,” he mentioned. “It was a challenge to receive so many at that time. But I faced my challenges,” he added. So far, he has directed music for over 200 teledramas.

Although he chose music as his field of profession later in life, he was able to climb the ladder from the first step. He said that he finds producing music for a theater play far more challenging than others. “Theater is live and we also have to travel across the country with the same theater production. There can be no difference in music in the play, when it is played in Colombo and when in Mahiyanganaya.  Or else the aesthetic feeling and maybe, even the story expressions will be completely different from the original,” he noted. He explained that when the music is produced inside a studio how well it can be prepared and redone, if a mistake is made. “Studio music can be presented as a fine final copy where as stage music will have variations from one show to the other,” he added. Gamage has produced and directed music for 50 theater productions. 

The popular Sinhala song is limited to only a few old songs of stage dramas. Although there are many new stage plays, those new songs don’t seem to receive much attention of the fans unlike teledrama and cinema. Gamage pointed out that this has happened because of the lack of interest of the local radio channels. “Earlier, the SLBC used to promote these songs. Their culture was such because there were people from various fields gathering at the SLBC. Here people had the opportunity to produce ideas freely,” he said. According to him, this unfortunate situation, where stage songs don’t get the necessary attention occurred when these free productions stopped and private music production houses were established. He lamented that even though there are a large number of radio channels in the country, none of these are interested in recording and preserving new stage drama songs.

With the experience he has gained ranging from working with Prof Sarachchandra’s generation to today’s reality shows, he said that the new trend of reality shows can be seen as a positive reinforcement for the new generation. “Unlike the earlier generations the number of enthusiasts is high now. I, myself have directed these newcomers to higher education in music,” he said. “But the problem is that the new generation gives up quickly. They kill their enthusiasm with their own hands,” he emphasized. “They have enough resources if they want to move forward and become successful. They just need the courage older generations had,” he emphasized.

 Gamage shares his years of knowledge and experiences with the younger generation by undertaking teaching assignments at aesthetic educational institution like Sri Palee Campus and Belwood Music Institute of the National Youth Council. He believes that a music student should not be limited to a specific style. According to him, a student must study different styles and choose what is best suited for him. He even agreed on fusion of music in different styles. “I always tried to include as many styles as possible to the syllabus when I was in charge of the academic syllabuses. This helps to mould a good musician as well as help the person to identify the possibilities, become more aware of the depths he or she could travel,” he opined.

During the last two decades, where Gamage found the depth he could traverse to, he won many awards and was appreciated for his contributions to the field. “Looking back, I can be satisfied with the attention and appreciations I receive.  There were times when I didn’t receive appreciations when I was expecting. But it wasn’t heartbreaking,” he said. “I like the attention I receive. I believe those appreciations made me travel this far. But I have never composed music expecting to receive an award,” he said. So far, he has received awards and been recognized on more than 50 occasions. “I think, I have received almost every award a Sri Lankan musician can win, including Sarasavi award, Presidential award, Raigam, Sumathi and awards in state drama festivals,” he said adding that he believes those awards were the way of paying justice to all his hard work.

Gamage’s latest production Panamura Kunchanadaya opera will be held at Nelum Pokuna Theater on May 30 and 31. He said that this event is an outcome of three years of comprehensive research in music and the tragic story of Panamure Tusker. “I won’t call Panamura Kunchanadaya as an opera or as a symphony. It is a fusion of all these from the knowledge I gained from the theater,” he iterated. “This is the result of his research and it is musical and theatrical interpretation of rhythmic and universal balance between forest, nature and history of human civilization. This would show the man who evolved from the forest, pointing his gun back at the forest,” he added.

He explained how Panamura Kunchanadaya became a major theater production. “Few years back, I was invited to compose music for the theme song of the Panamure Elephant Museum opening by SP Saman Ratnayake. Ratnayake’s knowledge was so rich that he enlightened me on this incident. I had to travel there frequently. I saw the place myself and I did my own research observing the environment and talking to people,” he said. “I saw how the civilization was initiated within the forest and how it has now come out of it.  I wrote down what I saw into a script,” he explained how the event was his brainchild.

He also said that he and his team continued to complete this project facing many untold troubles. Financial issues are only one aspect of it. “There are over 200 people in the Panamure team. Their needs should be taken care of when they are working for this. It was very difficult to seek funds for such a large group. There were times when I felt frustrated in being unable to raise the necessary funds,” he said. “It was very hard to explain what this is to the potential sponsors. Many didn’t understand what we were trying to say. But we continued till the end with these difficulties,” he iterated.  He reiterated why they couldn’t abandon the production considering the financial limitations. “This will be a new experience for everyone. A mother who sees this would want her child to see this and learn what this is. I know this will be a revolution regarding theater. So how am I to abandon this?” he queried, with loads of hope. 

Craftsmen should make noise

 

Pics by Madusanka Siriwardhane

“Once I wanted to wear a batik shirt and I asked a friend of mine who did batik to make a one for me. He didn’t do it.  So I did it by myself,” Deshabandu Buddhi Keerthisena, a pioneer of Sri Lankan batik industry recalled how his friend’s failure to make him a batik shirt laid the foundation for him to become a batik artiste. “I saw what I was capable of; what I can do with batik designs. I got interested in it and continued to make batik,” he said. Before he became a batik artiste in 1970s, he worked as a journalist and a media officer. Currently, he works as the chairman of the National Craft Council, Ministry of Traditional Industries and small Enterprise Development.

Keerthisena is from Koswadiya, Halpanwila in the Puttalam District. “I went to the village school.” He says he was very reluctant to go to school when he was a kid. “I remember I cried almost everyday, refusing go to school. But later when I started to meet friends and understood how fun school is, I started liking it,” he said that he was interested in art lessons while he was at school. “I did other students’ paintings during exams. I passed and they also passed the subject,” Keerthisena laughed recounting how mischievous he was during his school years.

When asked whether he had a guru to master the art of batik, he said that there is nothing much to learn in the field under a teacher. According to him, success of batik art depends on the artiste’s commitment and interest. “Everything you have to learn, you can learn on your own,” he noted. He also described the process of making batik print. First the design must be drawn on the fabric. Next step is applying colors. “But this step is done using wax. Wax is used to cover the areas which must remain uncolored. Then, starting from the lightest color, the process will continue using layers of colors,” he explained. “Likewise, you can use about six color processes. Applying wax is the most important step,” he added. The final step of making batik is to boil the fabric in hot water to remove wax. Once the fabric is dry, it is ready to use.

Batik creation, which he started as a hobby soon became popular in Sri Lanka as well as in other countries. Since then, ‘Buddhi batik creations’ still maintains its reputation all over the world. Keerthisena held his first overseas exhibition in 1974 and since then has held over a hundred fashion shows and exhibitions in countries including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Italy, Austria, the UK, USA, Seychelles, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and France. “The first exhibition was difficult for me and it was a failure. It was held in Bonn, Germany; had the best hotel in Hamburg but still, I couldn’t sell a single piece,” he recalled how frustrated he was at his debut international exhibition. “But the second exhibition, also held at Backnang, Germany was a success. I sold almost all my work,” he said proudly. He said that he has noticed that the less urban cities are the best places to showcase creative art since it attracts more buyers than urban cities.

Keerthisena said that there is a good demand for batik creations among local consumers as well as foreign. According to him, quality batik can be sold anytime, anyplace and at any price. “The problem here is we lack people who make quality batik. This goes for handcraft as well,” he pointed out. “If you make quality products there is a high end market for products.” He also said that this happens because the craftsmen do not have a long-term plan or a vision. “They just want to make something and make money out of it. Not that I blame them, but this is the problem,” he reiterated.

He also pointed out that high commissions paid for mediators like tour guide, operators and arts and crafts galleries is another problem faced by handicraftsmen. 

“This is a bigger problem than it appears to be. The craftsman doesn’t get the price he /she deserves when the creation is sold through a middleman. Middleman makes more money than either the shop owner or the tour guide. He has his margins; he buys crafts from the craftsmen for the lowest price they can offer and sells it to the highest price,” he said this must be opposed. He said that unless this is changed that the craftsmen get the real price for their work, handicrafts industry will collapse and ultimately the craftsmen will suffer.

He said that unless craftsmen take to the roads with placards the authorities will not heed their appeals. “I shouldn’t be saying this as the chairman of the National Crafts Council. They don’t make noise. They don’t ask for what they deserve. They are innocent, but extremely creative,” he emphasized. “National Crafts Council has made several proposals for the craftsmen where they will have to work together with the council to make a marketing strategy in which they can be directly involved,” he reiterated.

As Keerthisena explained, Laksala is the marketing arm of the government for craftsmen. If Laksala increases the price given to the craftsmen naturally the other shops will also have to increase the price. “We have been making requests throughout, but we still didn’t receive any positive response,” he said. “They might have their own excuses, but if they don’t increase the prices they pay, they are undermining their own future,” he pointed out. “They should not bargain with the craftsmen, they should bargain with the customers,” he said.

Moreover Keerthisena said that craftsmanship is not transferred from generation to generation now. He said that the low income of craftsman has resulted by this. “If the prices are increased and they start to receive good returns, this situation can be remedied. When the parents’ economy is good, the child will naturally develop an interest in the field,” he said.

The National Crafts Council (NCC) has been established under the Parliamentary Act No. 35 of 1982 for the purpose of promotion, development, fostering and preservation of handicrafts and uplift of social and economic status of craftsmen. “The vision of the NCC is to make the lives of the craftsmen better. We have several programs from training, product development, marketing to educating the craftsmen on technology and buying raw material,” he said. “The three institutes; NCC, National Design Center and Laksala; have to work together for the betterment of the craftsmen,” he added.

Increased raw material prices,  as Keerthisena mentioned, is also a barrier for the craftsmen to produce high-quality creations. “We can’t control this. Prices go up day by day, not only here, but also in the world market,” he emphasized that there is a shortage of local raw material and the price of imported raw material is exorbitant for the small-scale craftsmen. “We already have programs to re-grow raw material like reed or timber. But it will take sometime,” he noted.

Keerthisena also spoke about the handicrafts exhibition scheduled to be held from June 26 to 29. “It’s a means of providing marketing support for the craftsmen. We have similar programs each year in different parts of the country. “In addition, we have the national exhibition and trade fair, Shilpa, where we get to showcase our products,” he said. Shilpa National Exhibition and Award Ceremony for the handicraft and small industrialists will be held in August at the BMICH. He also mentioned that he is trying to increase cash prices given to winner of these exhibitions. Craftsmen selected from all over the country will showcase their creations at these exhibitions.

Keethisena said that he cannot be 100 percent satisfied with the situation of the artistes in general. “It is the way of our society, it is our economy. If you take a European artiste, he is recognized and he can sell his products to the highest bidder. It is the way of their economy,” he explained. “Our economy is comparatively small; therefore our income and turnover is naturally low,” he opined. He said that he is satisfied with the programs run by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as well as the Ministry of Traditional Industries to promote the crafts as well as the craftsmen.

He believes that the corporate sector should also join their efforts to promote local craftsmen. “They use local crafts to promote themselves in their marketing and advertising. It is high time they support to promote them also in return,” he urged.  “They have a lot of money which they earn using these crafts. They can utilize this revenue for the betterment of the field. At least they can sponsor a cash prize of an exhibition, for example,” he added. He said that they have tried to reach out to the corporate sector for sponsorships but their efforts were ineffective.

He reiterated that the craftsmen should take responsibly for uplifting the quality of their own lives. “They should not remain idle, expecting everything to be handed to them. They must have their own societies to promote themselves and market their product without waiting for someone else to promote them,” he said.

Originally published: http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/30427-craftsmen-should-make-noise.html

Street art of Art Street

Pics by Ravindra Dharmathilake

If one takes Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, now called Nelum Pokuna Mawatha, to travel from Nelum Pokuna Theater towards National Art Gallery, the paintings displayed along the road cannot be missed. The exquisite paintings of realistic, wildlife, modern to integral styles as well as portraits grab the attention of passersby. Paintings on novel themes or revolutionary pieces show that the art street is a place where artists perform experiments and reach out for novelty. If one happens to visit Art Street during weekends he or she will be able to observe more than a thousand unique paintings. Yet, this experience is given to you free. 

Art Street is a collection of achievers; a group of talented artists who displays their creations for art lovers. Representing all the artists on Art Street, Rajakaruna Ananda, coordinator of the Open Air Art Society; the society functioning among Art Street painters, spoke to ‘Fine’ about the functions of Art Street. “We prefer to call this Art Street, as this is the only such place in Sri Lanka,” Ananda said proudly.

Art Street is located along Ananda Kumaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7. “This is the only art street in Sri Lanka. There are countries where they have streets like this in the major cities in the world, where people can inspect, learn and buy paintings.” He explained that street art is simply visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues and an art street is where an artist exhibits and sells art work.

Art Street is located in the center of tourist attractions. Art Street runs along opposite the back boundary of Viharamaha Devi Park, where Nelum Pokuna Theater is on one side and Kala Bhawana and National Museum on the other. Ananda pointed out that this road, frequented by tourists and art lovers, helps to promote their work. “In a way, this street contributes to the country’s economy through foreign revenue. Many tourists are attracted to this because this street is only a few minutes away from the Independence Square, Laksala and Colombo based tourist hotels,” he said.

A person who visits the Art Street might ponder whether these painters are unfortunate to not have a proper place to exhibit their creations. Yet, artist Ananda said that each and every artist on Art Street stays there voluntarily and they do get the best of appreciations from buyers as well as art lovers. “We are all happy to be here,” he said. “This is not a mere art sale; this also adds beauty to the city.” He said that almost all artists on Art Street are quite well-off and they are not here because they are unable to procure space in a private gallery.

Most of the artists on the street represent an art society, ‘Open Air Art Society’, and as Ananda explained this society maintains the quality of the paintings. “Our paintings will last a long time, much longer than our own lifetime. We also discuss our basic needs and future plans to function as a society,” he said. The foundation for the Open Air Art Society was laid over 15 years ago by the students of the University of the Visual and Performing Arts out of frustration that they weren’t able to find a gallery for their work.

“This society started functioning officially under this name seven years ago. Their attempt was successful and Art Street became a permanent place for painters to exhibit their talent.” Open Air Art Society has more than 50 members from different parts of the country, who use different styles.

According to Ananda, artists on Art Street are a mixed bag. “There are self-taught artists to artists who have received their bachelor’s degree in arts. There are wildlife painters to modern artists. There are the young and the adult,” he said. “Yet, we all follow the same guidelines to produce the best we can and I can guarantee that these paintings are of the finest quality, similar to most art you find in private galleries,” he added.

The busiest days of the Art Street are during weekends. Most of the artists can be seen alongside their paintings and some will also do new paintings during this time. It is a place of wisdom for them where they share their experiences, novelties and ideas. “Most of the artists here are engaged in other occupations. Most among them are art teachers. Some get invitations to paint for private institutions like hotels and companies. There are plenty of those who provide their paintings to private art galleries or foreign buyers,” he said. “Therefore, they will not be available on Art Street during the weekdays. But everyone flocks here on Saturday and Sunday.”

He also spoke about the customers of Art Street. “We have both foreign and local customers. We’ve been on the street for a long time now. We will not be able to survive for this long, if our paintings are not of the finest quality,” he explained. Art Street artists can also be commissioned. “If art lovers can’t find what they like on this street, they have the ability to choose their favorite artists and get them to paint what they desire using the colors they want and according to the canvas size they want,” Ananda pointed out another specialty of Art Street.

When buyers visit an art gallery hoping to buy art, they might not get the chance to talk to the artists. They only get to speak to the mediator who collects art and exhibits. If buyers could buy the paintings directly from the rightful owner, the price of a painting is less. When a mediator gets involved, the price goes up. “Most of the art galleries address only to a particular level of society. But Art Street is open to everyone. There are people who provide paintings for galleries here. It’s the same quality, but two prices,” he said.

“But we do not duplicate those paintings painted for galleries here. You can’t find the same painting here and at a gallery,” he noted. He also mentioned that on average Art Street sells five painting each day. “We sell more on weekends and less on the rainy season,” he said. There are paintings worth Rs 1,000 to 80,000 on the street. According to artists, buyers mostly demand traditional paintings which represent Sri Lankan culture. Ananda also mentioned that the demand is very good that they cannot complain about the local buyers for lack of demand. 

“Sometimes it is surprising to see the enthusiasm of the art lovers. Art Street is the best place where art lovers of any level can come and enjoy art,” he said. 

He further explained how the value of a painting rises when it is exhibited at a reputed gallery. He explained how the space allocated to a single painting; time and space the art lover has inside a gallery and the special attention towards a single painting becomes the factors which increase the price. “All this should be calculated when the price of a painting is determined. This is why there is a difference in prices,” he explained. 

Art Street is not a burden to anyone. All the artists on the street are satisfied with their current placement. “Few years ago, we were placed around Viharamaha Devi Park. We were allowed to display our paintings on their iron fence. That fence was taken down when the park was modified and consequently we were asked to move here,” he said that everyone is happy that the Ministry of Defense has promised that the Art Street will continue to function along Nelum Pokuna Mawatha.

Originally published : http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/30183-street-art-of-art-street.html