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Kala Pola 20th chapter to take to the street :
The living cultural legacy of George Keyt
Nihal RODRIGO
This year’s ‘Kala Pola’ (Art Fair), organised by the George Keyt
Foundation in collaboration with the John Keells Group will be held on
January 26 from 8 am to 10 pm and on January 27 from 8 am to 6 pm at the
Nelum Pokuna Mawatha (formerly Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha) near the
Colombo Art Gallery.
This annual public event honours the living cultural legacy of
painter, poet and writer George Keyt (1901-1993). For the John Keells
Group, this is much more than the fulfillment of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR): it needs to be described as an exemplary
contribution to ‘Corporate Cultural Cooperation’ as well.
 The cultural legacy of George Keyt endures. He had his education at
Trinity College, Kandy and was employed for a while as a photographer at
the Phoenix Studio in Kandy. He later spent some years at the Malwatte
Temple, nearly a century ago, when the Ven. Pinnawella Dhirananda was
the Mahanayake Thera.
Magnificent murals
Though born a Burgher Christian, Keyt immersed himself in Buddhist
philosophy and even contemplated entering the Buddhist clergy.
The magnificent murals depicting the life of the Lord Buddha at the
Gotami Vihare in Borella are among his enduring contributions to
Buddhist culture. In 1983, the Sri Lanka Postal Department, when issuing
Vesak commemorative postage stamps, featured some of these murals.
Cultural heritage
His knowledge of Hindu philosophy, art and culture was also
extensive, and is reflected in the themes of many of his paintings, as
well as his poetry and writings, including the translation of Jayadeva’s
Sanskrit classic, the Gita Govinda.
His manifold achievements need to be placed in the larger context of
South Asia’s rich and varied cultural heritage. William G. Archer of the
British Museum, in his pioneering 1959 book, ‘India and Modern Art’,
placed him then, together with the Indian painters, Rabindranath Tagore,
Amrit Sher-Gil and Jamini Roy, as the four greatest modern artists of
the South Asian sub-continental cultural matrix.
The first ‘Kala Pola’ in 1993, which Keyt personally attended,
attracted a modest number of around 30 Sri Lankan artists. For ‘Kala
Pola 2013’, well over 300 artists have registered as participants and
will be exhibiting their works on Nelum Pokuna Mawatha.
The contribution that Kala Pola makes to the careers of emerging
painters and sculptors from all parts of Sri Lanka is enhancing each
year. A major legacy of Keyt is therefore the opportunity his talents
and creativity have come to afford young artists. This includes, in
particular the opportunity provided to them to present their work to the
increasingly large and diverse public that annually visits the Kala
Pola.
Many artists, including those from rural environments, have derived
much more than what they may collect from merely the sale of their work.
At last year’s ‘Kala Pola’, artists had earned around a total of Rs. 07
million.
Social welfare
A few differently-abled children are also due to present their
creations at ‘Kala Pola 2013’ which is an important aspect of social
welfare. Considering the increasing popularity of the event, ‘Kala Pola
2013’ (which is the 20th anniversary of the event) will, for the first
time, be held over two days, thus providing more time and opportunities
for all to benefit. Apart from locals, many foreigners, tourists as well
as diplomats of Embassies and High Commissions in Colombo visit ‘Kala
Pola’.
Ambassadors and Heads of Missions from the United States and China;
High Commissioners from India and the United Kingdom have been among the
distinguished personalities who have gladly accepted invitations to open
the annual ‘Kala Pola’.
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