Unveiling the captivating world of Sri Lankan art 

Minister Harin Fernando and Chathuranga Biyagama handing over the inaugural copy of the magazine to members of the clergy

The Aesthetic Readers Title (Art) Magazine was recently launched at the scenic Seema Malakaya, which rests quite aesthetically on the emerald waters of the Beira Lake. The occasion was made more significant due to several coincidences; one being that the cover page of the magazine donned this historic location and secondly, the fact that the Seema Malakaya was reconstructed by Geoffrey Bawa, making it an ideal respite in Colombo. 

The ART Magazine is the brainchild of Chathuranga Biyagama, curator and founder of Gallery Four Life Galleries. The ART magazine is a new form of expression, a colourful, higher quality version of expression of Sri Lanka’s rich culture and heritage. Readers can discover a vibrant range of aesthetics within the pages of this magazine. Every painting, every architecture, dance form narrates a behind-the-scenes story of Sri Lankan art that the world has already seen. Biyagama has also collaborated with India in an attempt to connect the two cultures. 

Addressing the gathering, Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando said that he was amazed to see that somebody has thought about the importance of the rich culture and heritage that Sri Lanka has. “Tourism is the key element for Sri Lanka to get out of the mess that it is currently in. We have been diversifying ourselves lately to launch Sri Lanka as a different product. It’s not just our sun, beach or hospitality – but we boast about a rich culture, rich heritage and rich art. Talking about India, if we take the Ramayana trail, there are 52 places to visit in this beautiful journey.”

“Currently Sri Lanka is rebranding itself. 33% of travellers who visit Sri Lanka are repeaters. They fall in love with Sri Lanka, whether it’s the culture, heritage, people or food. So we say, “Sri Lanka, come back for more”. This is the new tagline that we are working on at the moment. Sri Lanka is an addiction. Once you start learning about the art and culture, you get addicted to it. This is the right time to launch a magazine of this nature and I love to see this going to the next level, which is the digital platform so that people can study its contents more,” he added.

Speaking about his mission to launch this magazine, Biyagama firstly thanked Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero and the Gangaramaya temple for giving him the opportunity to organise the launch at the very location that Geoffrey Bawa designed for the Gangaramaya temple. “It’s an honour to launch the magazine at the very location which was featured as the cover page of the magazine, built by Geoffrey Bawa in 1979. I urge to create a magazine highlighting Sri Lankan art, architecture, tradition and culture-based tourism in a productive way as a means of creating a better society. I believe we have taken some good efforts in our first edition and we hope to continue and enhance the quality of the publications in future.”
The event was graced by the presence of Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero and Dr. Rathnasara Thero of the Gangaramaya temple and members of diplomatic missions. 

Pics courtesy Gayan Amarasekara