'Expressions' through four mediums
Ruwini Jayawardana
PAINTINGS: It is rarely that one comes across a person who is
able to display an equal amount of talent in a number of mediums
belonging to a particular field.
Jayantha Silva is one such individual. About 40 of his paintings done
in Acrylic, charcoal, soft pastel and pencil will adorn the walls of the
National Art Gallery on August 11 and 12. Titled "Expressions 4", this
will be Silva's fourth solo exhibition.
"My subject is figurative art. I draw images and portraits of people.
I have seen exhibitions presented by artists and have noted that only a
few of them engage in figurative art. They base their creations mostly
on sceneries or abstract objects.
This made me wonder whether there is a demand for figurative art. I
found the answer through my first exhibition, "Expressions". There is
indeed a great interest and demand for this type of art," Silva said.
A past student of St. Peter's College, Bambalapitiya, Jayantha had
displayed his talent for art at an early age. He recalled one moment
when his class teacher had written on his montessori report card that he
is excellent in art but that it is such a pity that he sketches on walls
and not on paper!
"I did not choose a career as an artist because I believed that there
is no future in that field. I was of the idea that an artist's creations
will become famous several years after he had passed away," he explained
adding that the option he took was to find a job in commercial arts
instead.
After working in an Advertising Agency Silva started his own company,
'Impetus Limited' in 1981.
Childhood passion
By then it was past 20 years since the artist had engaged in any form
of art. He decided to try his hand at his childhood passion once more.
"I was amazed by the results. I have not lost my artistic touch. It
was as if the artist within me who had been trapped all those years was
set free," he said with enthusiasm.
"Painting possesses a meditative quality for me. It eases my mind. I
decided to do a painting each week and once I have completed 10
paintings I made up my mind to hold an exhibition."
In 2003 Silva held his first exhibition, "Expressions", at the Lionel
Wendt Gallery. It was a great success and he sold two thirds of his
exhibits. Last year he toured Australia and India to promote his work.
Trade Fair
"I took part in the 'India International Trade Fair', one of the
biggest trade fairs in South East Asia. Six other artists from Sri Lanka
attended this event but I was the only one who got full sponsorship. My
sponsor was the Sri Lanka Export Development Board." Silva observed.
"My paintings reflect the expressions of people. I have a
photographic memory. Some things which have been stuck in my mind for a
long period emerge through my art.
"I do not know what kind of image would appear once I take up my
equipment. It is not pre-planned but once I do the sketch I see the
finished product beforehand. Then I go ahead and finish the painting."
"I was 10 years old when I did my first nude. I did it without
knowing what a nude looked like but now I realise that my assumption has
not missed its target," he said adding that he had not undergone any
sort of training on the techniques of paintings to approach the field.
"I pay special attention to the finish. I always make sure that it
looks like a professional job. Once a university student who had seen my
work told me that I have used all the wrong methods.
However, he stated that the quality of the finished look in my
paintings could not be obtained by them using the techniques that they
had been taught. That was an encouragement to me."
After his first solo exhibition Silva had been invited to display his
exhibits at the Lighthouse Hotel, Galle, for three months. During this
period the chairman of the Tea Board requested him to do a painting to
be handed over to the Airport and aviation Office.
"It was a huge painting of a tea plantation and a lady drinking tea.
That was a challenge for me as my subject was figurative art. But I did
not lose confidence. "I presented my visual and was chosen for the job
from among many professional artists."
"Art is not a gift. I do not believe that we are born artists. For me
art is absolute self-confidence in my abilities. If you hold this idea
in your mind you can achieve great heights," he said. |
