Portraying the personality

Ananda Kannangara

Sri Lanka’s one time renowned artist, now domiciled in the UK, Prashan Deepthi Kumara Perera held his maiden painting exhibition in London on February 4 to commemorate the country’s 63rd National Independence Day anniversary.

The one-week exhibition was open for public from February 4 at Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre, Kingsbury Road, London under the patronage of President of the Buddhist Centre Ven Galayaye Piyadassi Thera.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner in UK Nihal Jayasinghe will attend the formal opening ceremony which took place on February 4 (Friday) at 7 pm local time. A large number of Sri Lankans who live in London have also pledged their participation at the exhibition.

Speaking to Daily News Prashan said he displayed about 40 paintings of The Buddha, several ancient kings of Sri Lanka and former national leaders who fought to regain the country’s Independence on February 4, 1948.

He will also display the paintings of the present British Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

The name of Prashan Deepthi Kumara, a young artist from Bandaragama in the Kalutara District, is not new to the field of arts in Sri Lanka. He started his artistic career when he was only seven years. He has a rare ability of thinking of new creations and sketch them instantly.

During this period he had painted nearly thousand of portraits of eminent personalities in the calibre of politicians, singers, film stars and many other famous personalities including Dr Lester James Peries, Pani Baratha, Tony Ranasinghe, Victor Ratnayake, Latha Walpola and W D Amaradeva.

He also focused his attention towards the areas where there are cultural and historical values and had paintings of them.

He said the best painting he had so far completed was the painting of the eminent science fiction writer Dr Arthur C Clarke. He was lucky to handover the painting to Dr Clarke at his Barnes Place residence. He also finished a painting of former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and presented it to her three decades ago.

Born to a family of three Prashan loved music, sculpture and architecture too. He had won number of art competitions held in the country during his school career at Thakshila Central College, Horana.

In 1992 he won the all- island art competition of Young People sponsored by the Sri Lanka Educational and Cultural Foundation. Some of his paintings were also exhibited in the Commonwealth Institute of London in 1993. He had a wide knowledge of the history of Sri Lanka.

In the recent past Prashan gathered many facts about the famous Sigiriya rock and finished a painting of it. After a detailed study on Buddhist history and literature he painted important features of The Buddha and some of his paintings could now be seen at the Kandy Dalada Maligawa.

Asked what his future plans, Prashan said he would come to Sri Lanka and wish to hold many more painting exhibitions.

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