Life-giving colour splashes
Ruwini JAYAWARDANA
Renowned Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh once stated that paintings
have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul. Similarly
the paintings of aspiring young artist Duleep de Silva are creations
which derive from his imaginations and the incidents which he had
witnessed around him. 'Sithuwili 2009', an exhibition of art and
handcraft by a group of artists will be held at Sunil's Cabin, Mt.
Lavinia, from February 28 to March 1, 10.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Around 300
exhibits: paintings, paper tools, wooden arts and hand craft items will
be on display.
 Duleep
will exhibit around 15 oil paintings and three fabric paintings at 'Sithuwili
2009'.
Born with a creative streak, Duleep's inborn talent for art emerged
while studying at St. Thomas College, Matara. Realising his gift for the
art, N.W. Samaraweera, the art master of his school took the young lad
under his wing.
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Duleep with one of his creations |
Duleep had begun experimenting with watercolours before choosing oil
paints as his medium. Human figures and figures of animals come alive
through splashes of colours flowing out of his brush.
"My interest is on nature and its close relationship with living
things. The figures I draw are not just copies of people, animals or
incidents that I have witnessed. They are not mere portraits but are a
result of a my style of mixing colours with figurative art," Duleep
explained.
While studying he had been a member of the Shanker's group, based in
India from 1992 to 1998. He had also clinched several awards and
certificates at art competitions.
Duleep had displayed a collection of his work at a solo exhibition in
Matara in November, 2004. From there on he had taken part in a number of
group exhibitions in Galle, Matara and Colombo from 2006. One of his
paintings had even been brought by a Italian art collector to be
included in his collection.
"I use only a limited number of colours for each painting. Most of
them are light shades which are soothing to the eyes. Though a limited
number of colours are included in one painting, it is not evident to the
onlookers as a number of other shades are formed through combining the
shades. A skilled artist can create millions of shades by using a few
colours," he said. A banker by profession, he says that painting had
become one of his passions in life.
"Though I have not tried my hand at abstract art yet, I hope to try
my hand on that sector in the future. I'll have to gain more experience
and mature my knowledge," he expressed adding that his aim is to
showcase his paintings abroad and develop his knowledge on the subject. |
