Art Gallery given last rites by heartless officials

At present the construction work at the Art Gallery has been halted and ancient paintings are exposed to much danger

(Pix by Jayamal Chandrasiri)  

• The Art Gallery, maintained in its current state, has faced misfortune since around 2008
• Construction work at the Art Gallery has been halted due to a lack of funds; resulting in the destruction of ancient paintings
• None of those responsible knows how many paintings are in the Art Gallery
• During these dark times, instead of having the old paintings, the National Art Gallery officials have put up photographs of such items
• Available information suggests that some paintings are in the residences of several politicians
• At present, the National Art Gallery has 240 paintings and 9 sculptures  

 In 1887, Sir Noel Walker, the founder Chairman of Colombo Drawing Club changed the name of this institute to the Ceylon Society of Arts. The Colombo Drawing Club was originally formed in the 1880s by a group of art enthusiasts. Members showcased their artistic skills during the society’s monthly meetings. Those skilled in drawing and painting held annual exhibitions to do justice to their work. The first such exhibition by the Ceylon Society of Arts took place on December 7, 1892.

Officials at the Art Gallery have showed no interest in restoration work

Restoration work at the Art Gallery has stalled due to  absence of funds

The exhibition was inaugurated by Governor Sir Arthur Havelock. The Ceylon Society of Arts didn’t have a permanent art gallery to hold its annual exhibitions, so these events were held in halls owned by various institutions. This situation hindered the association’s ability to host its annual exhibitions. As a remedy, in 1911, the Ceylon Society of Arts laid the foundation to establish a dedicated space for its exhibitions.

The premises were donated by one of its members and an artist himself. He was none other than Wasala Mudali Tudor Rajapaksha. Another member of the society, Wasala Mudali A.C.G.S. Amarasekera, took the lead in preparing the plan for the Art Gallery. According to that plan, the Art Gallery, which included three halls, was to be constructed. However, construction work was delayed due to World War I (1914-1918). The first stage of the Art Gallery began in 1919, and the main hall was completed in 1932. The Eastern and Western Halls were constructed in 1952. This is how the National Art Gallery was built.For a long time the National Art Gallery was maintained under the patronage of the Ceylon Society of Arts. In 1971, it was acquired by the government under an agreement with Sirimavo Bandaranaike, due to the various hardships encountered by the Ceylon Society of Arts. Since then, the National Art Gallery has been functioning under the purview of the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

Facing misfortunes since 2008

The Art Gallery, maintained in its current state, has faced misfortune since around 2008. Even then, it is unclear whether the maintenance was properly executed. The first hall was closed due to water infiltration during heavy rains. Despite the need for renovation, those responsible haven’t prioritised it. When asked about the restoration of the Art Gallery, officials responded that the cabinet hadn’t allocated funds for repairs. Consequently, the remaining halls were also closed for renovations. However, construction work has been halted due to a lack of funds; resulting in the destruction of ancient paintings.

Furthermore, none of those responsible know how many paintings are in the Art Gallery. Our investigation revealed that there is no data available regarding this matter. An employee of the Department of Cultural Affairs, who spoke to this scribe, said that he haboured suspicions of existing data being destroyed and the old paintings being sold or stolen.

During these dark times, instead of the old paintings, the National Art Gallery officials have put up photographs of those paintings. It was unearthed that the photographs have been framed and counted as paintings. It is also reported that some high-value paintings have been replaced by photographs of politicians in this country. These photographs have been counted as drawings in the annual audit. From 2008 to 2016, the number of paintings has decreased each year. However, according to our source, even the Department of Cultural Affairs has no record of the number of paintings lost or what is available.

Since 2008, about 300 paintings in the National Art Gallery have either been misplaced, sold illegally or destroyed. Information we have received suggests that some paintings are in the residences of several politicians. The remaining artwork, after 2016, has been officially accounted for. At present, the National Art Gallery has 240 paintings and 9 sculptures. It was also revealed that 10-15 of those artworks are photographs of paintings and not originals. The employee of this institute, who provided this newspaper with this information, added that neither the National Art Gallery nor the Department of Cultural Affairs has records of the titles or artists of some paintings.

When I left on December 31, 2022, I had even prepared a cabinet paper requesting 1,500 million to complete the remaining work. However, I have also heard that the work still remains unfinished. There were 240 paintings during my time, and I did not let a single one go missing

- Anoja Gamage, Former Director Cultural Affairs Department -

In some years, during the audit, certain artworks were identified and marked as drawings, but the following year, those drawings had been listed as photographs. Consequently, it was revealed to this newspaper that there is a question of authenticity hence the absence of an accurate audit being done of the items in the gallery. Our informant pointed out that the official in charge of these paintings, before 2016, was not allowed to carry out his duties properly. As a result, this official had to work at the Battaramulla office, where the Department of Cultural Affairs is located; leading to the inadequate custody and protection of the paintings. Consequently, it has been unthinkable of determining as to what happened to about 300 paintings, according to the informant.

Around 2018, there was renewed discussion about the restoration work of the National Art Gallery and the preservation of its paintings. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who was the Minister of Cultural Affairs then, allocated the necessary funds within a day. This was despite some officials from the Culture Department claiming that the Cabinet would not allocate money for the restoration work. Even though the funds were provided, some officials showed no interest in the restoration work. Our informant gave us the information that some officials had stated that they didn’t have time to restore the paintings and the art gallery.

Anoja Gamage, who was appointed as a director of the Cultural Affairs Department around 2019, made plans to restore the existing paintings as well as the restoration work of the National Art Gallery with the money received. The informant pointed out that, with the help of an American art editor, she had trained the local editors and ensured that they performed their tasks properly. However the work could not be completed properly because Anoja Gamage was transferred to another ministry, he added. During the restoration work carried out during her period, a portrait of Ananda Samarakoon, painted around 1927, was found inside another painting. According to our informant, this special portrait had been found when a painting that had been hanging for 30 years was being renovated. 

In 2016, during an audit of the sculptures and paintings, belonging to the National Art Gallery, the aforementioned 9 sculptures and 240 paintings were found. It is hard to believe that after 2008 and by 2016, around 300 paintings in the National Gallery were destroyed. Our informant said that it is crucial to uncover what had happened to those paintings and inform the public.

It was reported that the existing paintings have been removed from their frames and placed in a storeroom at the John De Silva Memorial Theatre. It was learned that the paintings have been stored in an air-conditioned environment in keeping with international standards.

No official website

The National Art Gallery doesn’t have a website. This absence is a great loss, as it prevents the gallery from properly honouring the painters who have rendered valuable service to the nation and their works. George Keyt, Manjusri, Ivan Peries, C.J.S. Samarajeeva, Lankathilaka, Justin Deraniyagala, A.C.G.S. Amarasekara are among the old artists who donated their paintings to the National Art Gallery and their paintings should be preserved for posterity. But it does not seem that such measures will be fulfilled by the National Art Gallery. Three (3) paintings by George Keyt, two paintings by Ivan Peries, two paintings by Manjusri, and one painting by Justin Deraniyagala were among the old paintings. There were also two paintings by J.C. Dolomite (Escape from War), and a painting of milking in the morning. No one knows whether the paintings are still safe. It is also known that there is no information about the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi in the Art Gallery. As a result of the steps taken from 2020 to conserve and protect the remaining paintings of the National Art Gallery, some of the existing paintings have been preserved. Three photo albums of existing drawings have been made so far. Those efforts were taken in 2016. It was learned that one album has been handed over to the Department of Cultural Affairs and the other two to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Department of National Archives.

Saman Hettiarachchi, an artist, commented on this issue, saying, “So far, I have held more than 15 art exhibitions in Sri Lanka and overseas. I have travelled extensively, but I have never seen old paintings like those in our country’s Art Gallery. Today, there is no place for an artist to hold an exhibition of his art, nor is there a place for people to come and see paintings. One day in 2015, I visited the Art Gallery and saw that the workers who came to build the John de Silva Theatre had used the paintings that had been removed from the gallery as pillows and blankets to sleep at night. I objected to this. Instead of protecting those paintings, the authorities started to enforce the law against me. I request the authorities to quickly restore the National Art Gallery, which is a national pride, and return it to the people and artists,” said Hettiarachchi.

This scribe then asked Anoja Gamage, former director of the Cultural Affairs Department, about this issue. She said, “At that time, we conserved the most damaged paintings as the first stage. I don’t remember the exact number of paintings. During my term, 80 percent of the renovation work of the Art Gallery building was completed. When I left on December 31, 2022, I had even prepared a cabinet paper requesting 1,500 million to complete the remaining work. However, I have also heard that the work still remains unfinished. There were 240 paintings during my time, and I did not let a single one go missing. At that time, the secretary of the ministry was Professor Kapila Gunawardena, who backed these efforts. I was determined to preserve the paintings and complete the restoration work right before my eyes, and I did it successfully”. 

This newspaper also spoke to Yasitha Gunawardena, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department, to inquire into this issue. She said, “So far, the plans for the Navy to carry out the renovation work of the National Art Gallery are finalised. Procurement work has been completed. In the near future, all the renovation works will be carried out quickly. Currently, they are working to hand over this task to the Navy through open tenders after obtaining Cabinet approval. Additionally, the law will address whether the paintings have been lost, stolen, destroyed, or sold. A complaint has been lodged with the Cinnamon Gardens Police, and investigations are ongoing. If you want information about the paintings in the National Art Gallery, you should request details through the Right to Information Act.”

This scribe then obtained information through the Right to Information Act. However this newspaper hadn’t received the needed information at the time of going to press. Therefore, this scribe intends to write another article in the future, incorporating that information and details provided by those knowledgeable about the paintings. The opportunity to provide information remains open for those who wish to contribute to the next article in the series.