Sri Lankan artist of worldwide fame
Jayasiri Semage is an artist who needs no factitious introduction.
For the few decades past his paintings, ranging from postcards to
gigantic creations of over 40 feet in length adorning the entrances to
extensive exhibition parks etc, in various parts of our island, have
been highly acclaimed. Three of his work in oil 300x260cm in dimension
and depicting the Esala pageant (perahara), in Kandy and Sri Lankan
rural scenes are on permanent display at the large 'Cinnamon' Hall in
Melbourne, Australia.
That happens to be the only place in Australia where his works are
exhibited. And that city has the largest concentration of Sri Lankans
who are thus provided with an opportunity of experiencing art of their
beloved land reminiscent of the soft shades and rhythmic curves of the
Sigiriya paintings.
Semage has held several one man exhibitions in other countries, as
well as at the main hall of the UN Centre in Geneva. His painting 'Hands
that protect the motherland' is on permanent display. At the Sri Lanka
embassies in Stockholm, Manila and the headquarters of the People's Bank
in Colombo too are more such canvases.
At two outstanding overseas Buddhist temples - one, the Sri Lanka
Vihara at Lumbini, Nepal (the site of the Buddha's birth) and the other
the Mangala Vihara, Singapore, Semage has executed extensive mural
painting depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha. At home in Sri
Lanka, he painted the walls of Sri Piyarathnaramaya with similar
paintings just about a year ago.
Semage has always retained his individual style of painting. "I never
resorted in the name of modernity to the meaningless scratches on canvas
and deceive the viewer with dazzling title as some untalented painters
do," Semage said. When it comes to colours, Semage seems to be just
second to nature herself. His choice of pigments can hardly be improved
upon and more he uses them with delicacy with his brush caressing the
canvas, as it were, that a search for garishment would be in vain. Each
gentle shade blends into yet another in the same soft pleasing rhythm of
his curves that one's eye could glide over them with the same daintiness
as the artist's own caress.
Art to Semage is a painstaking disciplined activity attainable
through spiritual and technical coordination coupled with inborn
talents. A foreign art critic once commented after viewing one of
Semage's paintings. "It's like sipping a cool and refreshing glass of
beer."
The themes are either refreshingly romantic or soothingly
spiritualistic. He paints on the themes of love, innocence of nature,
beauty and spirituality.
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