Glimpses of the Beruwala surroundings
Ganga ILLEPERUMA
Painting can only 'describe' everything which can be seen and suggest
every emotion which can be felt! Art reaches back into the babyhood of
time, and is man's only lasting monument! - William Hunt.
|
Muslim Bazaar in Beruwala |
Pulling the fishnets |
Bhikkhuni in her alms round |
Painting has existed as an artistic tradition for thousands of years.
It is a mode of expression and the forms are numerous.
For Sameera Kalupahana too it was the same. As a child he grew up at
Beruwala and was able to capture the reality around him which was able
his dream. These surroundings are not as simple as it looks. They are
quite complex.
"In Beruwala the majority is Buddhist with Christians and the Muslims
coexisting peacefully. These are followers of three major world
religions and they have many places to worship.
"Their occupations are different. The Muslims are mostly businessmen.
The Buddhists are mostly farmers toiling the soil. The Christians have
adopted fishing as their main occupation.
"Yet for all this diversity I have never heard of any conflicts
between these groups. I have tried to capture the unity here to bring
all these parts together." Said Sameera Kalupahana.
Beruwala has a complex culture.
There are things in common and there are distinct differences.
These are often seen when the different groups come together. Take,
for example, colours. Most Muslim males prefer white while the women
prefer bright colour. Buddhists have no special preferences but mainly
wear white to the temple.
Common day-to-day activities show common features, for example the
simple cooking utensils. The everyday lives of people who practice a
relatively uncomplicated life style.
'Glimpses of the Surroundings of Beruwala' by Sameera Kalupahana
being held at American Centre Colombo till August 22 unravels an
interesting story in painting. |
