An unnoticed artist in Raja Rata
Dr. Nimal Sedera
It is by sheer accident I met this special creative seamstress
Jayamini Daluwatta. She is someone very special whom art fans should
know. On my recent visit to Anuradhapura the ancient capital I dropped
in to a handicraft shop located just near the kuttam pokuna. She was
just opening the shop to begin the day's work.
She welcomed us with a pleasing smile. It was a handicraft shop with
a difference. I spotted the copies of several certificates pasted to one
wall. That included a presidential award for a lady by the name Jayamini
Daluwatte.
"Who is Jayamini?"
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Jayamini’s masterpiece that won her the Presidential award. |
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Jayamini with her mother on the lace weaving machine (beeralu
kotte) |
"I am Jayamini." The lady responded. We expressed our happiness in
seeing her. Then she pulled out her creative patchwork. The masterpiece
that won the presidential award in 2007 was among them. It was for sale
and obviously we decided to buy it.
The shop was full of cut work and patchwork, all her creations. The
tableclothes, the table mats, the cushion covers, wall hangers and a lot
more items.
Above all her works of art were very neat and dainty. All the lace
used in the covers and cushions were knitted by her in the beeralu
machine she has in a corner of the shop. My mother and mother-in-law
both aged 83 had never sat by such a machine for decades to refresh
their knitting memory. "I made money when the tourism was booming. Now
the visitors are becoming lesser and so is my revenue," said Jayamini.
"May locals bargain. It takes more than a week to make a big
tablecloth. I have to cover my cost of time and material too. Patchwork
too is so much time consuming and I believe in quality and I am keen in
keeping standards."
"I learnt the lace knitting work from my late grandmother and I took
a liking for sewing work since my childhood.
I knew it would be my livelihood one day. This is a true art, I have
to create designs in my mind, put them on paper, paint them on paper
before I begin doing it on the cloth.
Designs on wall hangers and cushions need to be changed at least
annually. I have to live with it in my mind every moment and visualize."
Whilst attending to us she had the time to look after the bus load of
students that arrived for soft drinks counter in the section of the
shop. Jayamini's shop had some wooden handicraft well polished. Among
them were statues of the Buddha and elephants.
"This is my husband's work. He buys unfinished stuff and polish
them." And pointed out to a person standing outside the shop on the
other side of the road. He arrived smiling.
K. Wimalasiri explained how he polishes the statues and get this
unique brownish colour on the wood. He was hopeful that the defeat of
the terrorism will dawn an era of happiness and the tourists would
return to Sri Lanka in a great deal. Their son Smaeera is 25 and
daughter Anjalee is 20.
"Today is a special day in my life," she said happily packing our
purchase. It's my 45th birthday. Thank you very much for making me happy
with a lavish purchase."
People of Jayamini's calibre need help and be made more productive.
She could assist the nation to earn much needed foreign income and
create employment of youth in the Anuradhapura district. There will be
no difficulty in finding foreign buyers, thinking of the quality of her
works. |
