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| Wednesday, 18 August 2004 |
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Magnificent strokes with a shade of Monet by Gwen Herat She is a great artist and she has her signature on them and no doubt what comes off her brush is truly amazing because she is a 'natural' at stroking. I see a lot of Monet in Damayanthi and had I seen them hanging in a gallery, I would have mistaken them for Monet. I doubt her to have been influenced by this French Impressionist but the making of an equally talented Master is there in her. Each time I discover our wonderful and gifted painters, it makes me feel very proud and patriotic. But the irony is that they go unsung.
The maximum they achieve is a couple of exhibitions or a few sales. Even at this late stage, our embassies around the world could promote and exhibit their paintings and expose the abundance of wealth in our country. Most of these painters are superior to the so-called great painters. Beside Damayanthi, one who struck me as a budding virtuoso is Kumar Ratnayake. Colour and nature beckon Damayanthi to pick up her brush and go wild on her canvas and surface their line and image in subtle tones, blending one to another like the French Impressionists but behind her paintings, lie character that many painters appear to overlook. Had Damayanthi been one of the Impressionists, she would have led the pack. Such is her forte and coming from a simple young woman from a far off village, the rustic and the rural are her main components. She captures still life in their spirit and blends one to another effortlessly.
She had a magnificent exhibition of water colour paintings at the Alliance Francaise Auditorium some time back. That was very fascinating and quiet exhilarating which appeared to have come easily to her. Imaginative, graceful and explosive in themes, Damayanthi comes out in excellent style. Born at Ingiriya, Tamara Damayanthi had her early brush with colour at Nugadana Maha Vidyalaya and later at Horana Sripalee Vidyalaya. After entering the University of Kelaniya, she came under the guidance of Mrs. K. D. Walisinghe and Punyadasa Vithanage. After graduating, she took up to textile designing at Tulhiriya Textile Factory but gave it up to join the Education Department where she served in several schools and presently, serves as the art teacher in the Advanced Level section of Ananda College.
With a passion for water colour, she uses it as her main medium. She has won several national and international awards and she has many equally talented students of the same calibre, here and abroad. She encourages her students to hold exhibitions on their own while inviting them to join her in her own presentations. The creativity in an artist is his own inspiration. There is musicality in visions and the one who captures them on canvas, is the rare artist. Art is a universal langauge that has no barrier. Its keepers are the artists and Tamara Damayanthi is one among many, not in Sri Lanka but around the world. It is a pity her message cannot reach them. **** Back **** |
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