Sudu Menike Wijesinghe:

First feminine touch on temple painting

Jayanthi LIYANAGE

Sudu Menike is a new century daughter of a farmer. She drives her own vehicle, sent her son and daughter for higher education overseas and took gradual steps to achieve her heart's desire of becoming an artist once she employed herself as a teacher.

Recently she trod a step beyond the borders within which Sri Lankan women usually roamed. She drove after school to Sri Sudharshanaramaya, Mahena, near Thulhiriya where she was born and bred, discarded her Kandyan saree for working trousers, climbed on a rickety table and painted scenes from the life of Lord Buddha, Jataka tales and local Buddhist history on the walls of the temple's shrine room, Budu Ge.

There are women who paint for Buddhist pandals, but there is a belief that such activities by women can bring on themselves malefic influences. We have learnt an instance where a woman fell ill. But Sudu Menike was not concerned about these beliefs.

"When my devotees and I requested her to undertake this work, she accepted it without any fear. As a person who has conducted her life according to Buddhist precepts, she had faith that she would not face any mishaps. We took precautionary measures such as chanting pirith. As far as I know, she is the only local woman painter to have painted in a Buddhist shrine room." Said Ven. Warakapola Bharati Thera, Chief Incumbent, Sri Sudharshanaramaya, expressing admiration for Sudu Menike.

She did it very meticulously at a minimal payment which made things easy for us, the Thera explained further. They have provided guidelines as to how the paintings should be. The patrons of the temple wanted the paintings to resemble something from their own life experiences.

Sudu Menike's feat was recognized with a national Diriya Kantha (courageous woman) award on the International Women's Day of March, 2009, by the Ministry of Child Development and Women's Empowerment. She received her award from the First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa.

"No one coached about Buddhist stories and I did not copy anybody else's paintings. What I painted in the temple were pictures conceived in my own mind," said Sudu Menike. This has great importance when you think of the present times when religious knowledge of students are low and they answer only short questions at the Buddhism exams.

"We have to provide in-depth essay type answers, critically evaluating Buddhist literature and Dhamma. To confirm what I had retained in my mind from school days, I discussed with Ven. Bharati Thera. My pictures also had to be simple enough for devotees to understand them. I was influenced somewhat by painters Solius Mendis and M. Sarlis.

Sudu Menike loved art since childhood but her parents encouraged her to follow the Commerce stream to ensure that she obtained a decently paid job. She had to forego her selection at the University of Visual Arts on the basis of her first national art award won at 13 from Governor General William Gopallawa, and chose instead a teaching appointment in Medirigiriya at 19.

But determination, resourcefulness and support from her husband, W. M. I. G. Wijesuriya, who hails from Kandalama, enabled her to study art at Giragama Teachers' Training College and National Institute of Education where she obtained her Bachelor's. For four years she learnt art and drawing of human figures from Dayananda, a lecturer in Sculpture at the University of Visual Arts. Drawing the human form is the most difficult thing for many artists and students, said Sudu Menike. Her travels in the distant parts of the country and her village background have intensified her preoccupation in painting women and rural scenery.

After living with art for 30 years while she went about her other duties, now she is close to realising her goal of making art her chief income earner and plans to retire from Tholangamuwa Dudley Senanayake Maha Vidyalaya where she teaches art and has become a full time artist. "Art sends me into a trance," she says, "the relief I feel is indescribable."

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Contribution of the patrons

The space of the shrine room outer walls (called the Wata Male) was divided into 32 squares, including three bigger squares flanking the front door.

Each devotee provided Rs.7,500 per square, the bulk of which covered the cost of oil paints. Consulting Sudu Menike, the devotee selected a scene from Buddhist literature, in memory of a dead relative. For her labours, Sudu Menike accepted only Rs.3,000 a square.

In the three squares in front, she painted the three milestones of the local Buddhist history: arrival of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the sapling of Jaya Shri Maha Bodhi and writing of the Tripitaka on Ola leaves. Other squares contain scenes from the Buddha's life and Jataka tales.

The pictures are to be varnished with linseed oil by which they can be preserved for probably the next few thousand years.

This technique for temple paintings has only been used in the Bellanvila Temple, to this day.

On the auspicious day, each devotee stood in front of the painting they had funded and removed its cover of white tissue, amid Hewisi tune and pirith chanting. Many, being elderly devotees, were highly pleased, commented Sudu Menike.

"She is my daughter's art teacher," said Aircraft engineer and devotee Anura Wickremarachchi.

"Her temple paintings are very effective. We offered a pooja to God Vishnu to protect her from aswaha and katawaha," added Mahena Post Mistress and devotee Wijesiri Menike.

Now the walls beyond the corridor of the Wata Male are to be demolished to give way to a wider corridor and a fence to protect the paintings.

Sudu Menike has been offered the task of painting more Buddhist scenes on the inner side of walls to be newly built.

"Before I begin, I will read the Jataka book," said Sudu Menike.

Chandrani Sudu Menike Wijesuriya

Art exhibitions:

* 2001 Dehena 1 National Art Gallery.

* 2002 Dehena 2 Kandalama Hotel.

* 2003 Dehena 3 Alliance Francaise, Kandy.

* 2006 Dehena 4 Lionel Wendt, on the International Women's Day.

* Envisaged - an exhibition on Buddhism and Women.

* Instructor, Shashika Art Academy.

* Received awards for directing winning students for national art competitions, Ridi Sittam, Lalitha Rekha and Thushara, and international competitions in Japan, Poland and the internet competition, Look and Learn.

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