Roopachaya: A moving exhibition of still images

PHOTOGRAPHY: 'Roopachaya', 'Hands of friendship' and 'Memories in Japan' together made up the photographic exhibition 'Roopachaya and hands of friendship', which was held at the public library, Colombo. The photographs, 57 in number, were by the renowned photographer, Lal Hegoda.

'Roopachaya' consisted some of Hegoda's past photos while 'Hands of friendship' involved photos taken at projects launched by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The latest masterpieces to join Hegoda's collection are pictures taken during his recent visit to Japan.

These were also on display, under 'Memories in Japan'.

"When viewed visually, photography is the extraction of minute details of the big picture using a camera.

When such pictures are hung in a gallery, it is called a photographic exhibition. The photograph is not reality seen through the lens of a camera. Nor is it reality. Thus photography is illusion.

Illusion too is part of nature. Hence illusion too is reality," explained Hegoda referring to his search for a rhythm in photography.

#####################

Tamil tele-cartoon breaks new ground

Arul Sathya

TELE-CARTOON: All plans are set in motion to produce the first ever Tamil cartoon tele series in Sri Lanka.

The process of selecting child actors and actresses is being done by the production team. A mixture of Sinhala and Tamil talent is another novelty of this first production. The Tamil cartoon series, which will be on air for fifteen weeks, will be produced by the well-known Sinhala tele-cartoon and puppet show producer, Palitha Laxman de Silva.

Palitha says that he wishes to venture into the untapped resource of Tamil children's movie and tele cartoons, which he believes has the potential to reach the international market.

The tele cartoon, Nagarukkul Vantha Karadi (the bear that come to town) written by the well-known Tamil writer, Sudaraj, has already got the green light from the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC). It is in the process of being written as a tele script by Mavai Varodayan, another able writer.

#####################

Symphony Orchestra celebrates works of Grieg

MUSIC: The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOLS) will perform three major works by Edvard Grieg, the great Norwegian composer, at the Grieg Centenary Concert at the Ladies College Hall on March 30.

The Concert, a part of this year's international recognition of his work and life from 1843 to 1907, will feature his ever popular Piano Concerto in A minor with Soundarie David as soloist, his lovely Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 and the delightful Holberg Suite for strings.

The concert brings together Norwegian music and Sri Lankan musicians, and is supported financially by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, which has graciously decided to offer all concert tickets free of charge. The Conductor will be Ajit Abeysekera.

Edvard Grieg wrote his Piano Concerto when he was 25 and was the soloist at its first performance in 1869 at Copenhagen. It was an immediate success and is now one of the most famous of all Romantic piano concertos. The outer movements sparkle and dance whilst the second movement is a hauntingly expressive Adagio.

Dramatic and technically demanding, the Concerto requires virtuoso playing of a high order. But it has been said 'Grieg paints with notes' and the soloist has to balance bravura display and brilliance with lyrical tenderness to bring out the Concerto's underlying poetry and Grieg's almost impressionistic gift for 'sound painting'.

Grieg's surpassing pictorial and descriptive powers are evident again in his Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, based on the incidental music he composed for a stage production of Ibsen's great dramatic poem Peer Gynt. Its first performance at Christiania (Oslo) in 1876 made Grieg a national figure.

Morning evokes a lovely pastoral mood, while The Death of Aase is full of pathos. Anitra's Dance has an oriental touch. The last item, In the Hall of the Mountain King depicts Peer Gynt being chased by trolls, having wandered into the subterranean realms of the Mountain King.

Grieg's Holberg Suite was composed in 1884 to celebrate the 200th birth anniversary of the Norwegian dramatist Ludvig Holberg. The work, which is in five movements based on baroque dance forms, imitates the style and forms of the 17th century, reflecting the subtitle of the piece 'From Holberg's Time'. It will be played by a cello ensemble.

Grieg's music is deeply poetic and has a strong individuality, which is reflected in his character and beliefs as well, and the underlying theme of humanism of the Grieg anniversary. An active humanist, he was a defender of freedom, democracy, justice and the rule of law.

Grieg regarded art as an important means of expressing individual identity, and solidarity amongst human beings. He believed that artists play a key role in the struggles to have every person treated with respect, and to end all discrimination.

Tickets are available at Titus stores, Liberty Plaza and the new SOSL office.

###################

Vikum gains upper 'hand' in art contest

PAINTING: Ten year old Vikum Chandrasekera was just like any other boy at his school - Vijaya College, Matale. But destiny had other plans in store for him. Little Vikum was adjudged the winner at the Unilever International Schools Art Project - an all island art competition for children that drew entries from nearly 8000 schools in Sri Lanka.

Vikum's painting was drawn entirely by hand, literally, as the little lad mixes the paint with his fingers and paints on canvas using his fingers.

Later this year, Vikum along with his mother will fly to the United Kingdom where he will have the rare privilege, of having his painting displayed along with the winning entries from the other countries at the prestigious Tate Gallery in London, an opportunity of a lifetime, which most artists can only dream of. For Vikum, this experience has been unlike any other.

"Painting is fun and I try to do it all the time, after school and especially during the weekend. It makes me happy to think that I can go to England and show my picture to everybody there. My parents, my school teachers and friends are all very proud of me...." said Vikum beaming with delight at the accolades and praise he had received.

ARTISTIC POTENTIALITY EMERGED: Moments from the Unilever Art competition

For this little boy hailing from Matale, this experience offers the rare chance to participate in educational activities in the UK as well as to meet and interact with child artists such as himself from all over the world. This event was a part of the Unilever International Schools Art Project - a global project that has been running in countries the world over since 2001. Successfully conducted in Sri Lanka for the second consecutive year, entries were called from schools island wide.

This exhibits submitted by the children were on display at the Vihara Maha Devi Open Air Theatre on March 17. This year's theme was 'Reality and Dreams.' The exhibition showcased creative talents and ingenious imagination of children and interesting exhibits included a figurine made entirely out of a spoon, a painting depicting peace and harmony made from myriad types of colourful seeds as well as paintings on canvas that took a creative three dimensional turn. Prizes were awarded to the best entries in the three age group categories ranging from 5-16 years.

Commenting on the event, Chairman of Unilever Sri Lanka, Amal Cabraal spoke of the gems of creativity that lie in every child.

"Every one of us is blessed with creativity, but only a few are able to bring this latent creativity of life. We can all take great pride from the exhibits around us, which depicts a wide array of great creative talent of our Sri Lankan children.

Unilever Sri Lanka is indeed proud to be able to help realise the artistic potential of the children of Sri Lanka and help showcase this to the entire world," he expressed.