Etching a lasting impression
Sensitive, delicate and fragile portrayal of people
and places:
Jayanthi Liyanage
|
A collection of paintings which will be on exhibit
|
Perhaps the best verdict of Yaswant Amaratunga’s artwork comes from
his daughter Tharika. “He worked as a chartered civil engineer all his
life and on his retirement moved in to art,” points out Tharika.
“As an engineer his view point or outlook to art and sculpture would
be different to a professional artist’s outlook. He would implement his
knowledge to his sculpture technique and art. Engineering is a highly
concentrated and a detailed job and this mind set is used for his
artwork too.”
Looking at Amaratunga’s water colour and acrylic on canvas paintings,
ceramic and terra cotta sculpture and glass carvings and etchings of
personalised portraits, one is struck by the clarity with which he has
translated his pre-retirement experiences into deeply sensitive,
delicate and fragile portrayal of people and places.
Worked out in minute detail, they are finger captured stills of
active life and each exudes a lively persona of its own. “He is multi
tasked and there is more value addition to his work,” comments Tharika.
Amaratunga’s first ever exhibition which takes place at Harold Peiris
Gallery, Lionel Wendt on June 27 and 28 from 9 am to 7 pm follows that
of his son-in-law during the previous weekend.
This extremely talented artist has discovered a delightful past time
to engage in during retirement. What his eyes has seen and conjured from
that insight, will make a lasting impression on a fascinated onlooker
who will rediscover pleasurable moments in Sri Lankan life which he
previously took for granted as banal.
|
