Exotic and clinically accurate

Review: GWEN Herat

ART: The name of Dr. Prasanna Jayasekera, radiologist, attached to a leading hospital, may not sound very familiar in the world of art but better known as a man of medicine. But the painter in him is amazing and makes one think twice.

Trapped in two different worlds so different from each other; how does he do it?. Jayasekera confided that it is only a hobby, one that takes the strain off his mind. From what I saw in his work, it was a very passionate study of the human anatomy, beautifully carved out, fleshy arrogant but sleek.

My mind went back to the figures of Roman women in their long-flowing garbs, the togas of ancient Romans. He even positioned them in a way they sat, displaying the authority of the upper class Roman woman, especially in one painting that caught my eye. Garbed in red and blue, the royal colours of ancient Rome, this painting depicted the dignity of women.

Empowered with a combination of high level competence, he is careful in his rich artistic imagination and harmonises anatomical accuracy in his work. There is an intimate insight to a mind of a remarkable artist's hidden expressions. He focuses them with accurate details but at times, wanders aimlessly like a rebel without a cause and in expansive proportions.

His art is a medium to express his opinion and he does so with vibrance. There is an allegory of harmony between beauty and expression in his work in a unique manner. There is also a touch of brilliance and contrast of emphasis as he differ from one painting to another.

Is Jayasekera an artist of nature or of human figures; something I could not comprehend. He treats the two subjects in sharp contrast but both are languorous and stimulating. Jayasekera displays an amazing variety of texture and tone.

They are subtle as well as bold as the artist is inclined when he picks the brush. The detailed subjects are short of Sri Lankan bearings if taken at random. If he has been influenced by foreign scenario, he has come up magnificently. All his paintings are vibrant for a hobby and Dr. Jayasekera is an expert.

Dr. Prasanna Jayaskera, a student of Ananda College, did art only as a subject and after his A'Levels, left for Russia to study medicine at the Lvov State Medical College. Doing medicine in the Russian language was a tiring affair and to ease off his mind, turned to painting.

Some artists in Russia helped him develop his study of art and by the time he returned home, he was an artist, fully-fledged to hold even an exhibition but he put it on hold because of his post graduation studies at the Department of Radiology - National Hospital, Colombo.

After completing the second part of the examination in 1999, he held his first Exhibition in October 1999 and left for Australia for Radiology training overseas. He returned to Sri Lanka in 2001 as a fully qualified Radiologist and served in many hospitals around the country.

Once settled permanently at his job, he picked up his brush in anticipation of holding another exhibition which he just did a few days back at the National Art Gallery. It was his second individual display and titled, 'Shadows on Canvas'.

In his paintings, Jayasekera pays homage to any subject he chooses to paint and comes up with excellent results. His major medium is oil on canvas. He is prone to human figures and reproducing old paintings. Initially, Jayasekera was enchanted with scenes and outdoor landscapes but he admits after reading books like The Great Artists and The History of Art, he is concentrating on figures. Among many of his paintings are the following:

The Last Supper is a classical example of human expression. Painted in bold colour but with only three of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, the great betrayal by Judus Iscariot, is brought to life.

'Roman Woman' is a medley of colour. She could well be Roman or Russian but the colours of her garbs indicate all Roman. Vibrant, warm and in rich colours, the expression of the woman too is very demanding.

'Autumn' shows the glories of nature as the 'Fall' season begin where trees turn gold, red, orange, yellow and brown before shedding their leaves. This is a spectacular scene. A riot of colour to indicate the season.

Snow-capped Mountain is in all shades of blue against the white of snow with a valley in dark green. What was more extraordinary features in this painting was the reflection in the water.

'Meadow at Dawn' is yet another spectacular setting of a meadow at dawn with the violet and rose skies announcing the birth of yet another day. The artist had used all shades of green and trapped in the early streaks of the day, revealed a breath of fresh air.

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