Semage paints a la Picasso
R. S. Karunaratne
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CELEBRATED PAINTER: Jayasiri Semage
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ART: Jayasiri Semage and Picasso are poles apart when it comes
to painting. Semage is Sri Lanka's leading artist whose curved lines and
pleasing colours have set a new benchmark for present-day painters and
many generations to come, His paintings are not modern-day puzzles that
pass as abstract art. Instead he draws inspiration from our own culture
tempered by Buddhism.
On the other hand, Picasso is his opposite. Most of his paintings are
erotic but they are a burst of creativity. He is a disciple of Eros and
paints human sexuality in different forms. Once he said, 'Art is never
chaste".
He believed that sensual man is indivisible from the artist. His
countless love affairs with Marcelle, Olga, Marie - Therese, Dora,
Francoise, Sylvette and Jacqueline had a stimulating effect on his
paintings. Picasso also dabbles in Cubism. His Cubistic women show
intricate artistic pun in female anatomy.
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EROTIC:One of the exhibits
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It is amazing that a traditional painter like Jayasiri Semage has
decided to do the impossible ... to localise Picasso devoid of his
erotic approach. The good news is that Semage is planning to hold an
exhibition of such paintings from April 26 to 30 at the Semage Art
Gallery, 3 Lilian Avenue, Mt. Lavinia.
Semage believes that the exhibition will enable art lovers to buy any
of his paintings to adorn their living rooms, private studies or even
offices. The exhibits will be of different sizes to suit the varying
tastes and capacity for spending. Semage's paintings will have those
unmistakable lines, Liyavel and signs of Sinhala culture.
Semage has won many prestigious awards such as Kalapathi,
Kalabhooshana and Kalasuri. He was honoured with a Doctor of Arts by the
Lanka Kala Sangamaya recently. He is one of the few local artists who
have held solo exhibitions in many foreign countries. One of his
paintings has been selected to adorn the United Nations Office in
Geneva. That itself is a silent tribute to a master painter.
Semage will hold a "Celebration of Colours" on April 26 featuring a
short film depicting his life, dance and musical show to entertain his
fans and visitors to the exhibition. "I want to make my creations
available at an affordable cost to every art lover", Semage said. |
