‘Gebaka’ A creative showcase for those who appreciate art

Hues of reds and yellows dominate your imaginations as you enter the otherwise empty room at the Bakeriya Space located in Mahalwarawa, Pannipitiya. This is depicted as the connection you have with your mother, the reds and yellows indicating the blood circulation inside the womb as the foetus develops. Once the infant is delivered it experiences nature and the surrounds and should have access to basic needs such as food and water as portrayed in the second section of the space. You then enter your childhood and it develops with knowledge. From your childhood you enter society and here you meet an audience. You come across people with various thoughts, behaviours and emotions and this experience is different to the solitary connection you had with your mother when inside the womb. While you experience society, you also deal with your own thought-process and emotions, largely as black and white contours. Finally, you take a step down from this journey and enter a realistic space, also known as death. 

This is how Janith Weerasinghe visualises the journey of life. “We usually alternate between the good and bad in life,” he opined in an interview with the Daily Mirror Life. “At one point we question ourselves and try to correct certain ignorant decisions we take. Sometimes, we haven’t had a direction in life. In fact, painting was part of my healing process, an attempt to escape the darkness.”

Having had an interest in Arts since his childhood Weerasinghe had spent most of his time drawing his own imagination. But at one point he decides to step away from painting and had been working in production sets of stage plays. “I decide to choose cinema as my field of study and joined the Sripali Campus. But after some time I felt that it was not what I was looking for. After I came across Down Town Pulse I was addicted to what they were doing and I stepped out of campus life and went in search of their performances. From 2016 to 2018 I was heavily invested with the Ghosha band and ‘Kalagotti’ a musical performance organized at the Bakeriya Space. It was during this time I told Viraj that I wanted to do some paintings. I believe that the experiments we did within this space were more realistic.”

He followed certain courses with regards to art and the fundamentals directed him towards what he wanted to show the masses through his artworks. He says he shouldn’t be satisfied with what he has done. “I need to look for my own progress. We need to advance our thinking and therefore we need more knowledge to improve the same concept and do something different.”

I need to look for my own progress. We need to advance our thinking and therefore we need more knowledge to improve the same concept and do something different.”

While appreciating the support extended by the community around him, he believes that facing people’s attitudes, emotions and changing behaviours is unstoppable. “Those were challenges but that doesn’t really matter when your sole purpose is improving your own creations on a canvas or any other medium.”
The Bakeriya Space has been the birthplace for a community of free-thinkers; for those who were looking for alternative forms of art. “We were able to gather a scattered community through this space" opined Viraj Liyanarachchi, professional photographer and proprietor of the Bakeriya Space. “From painting walls on streets to bringing his creativity into the Bakeriya Space, Janith introduced his mural and installation arts onto a different platform. Therefore while having the initial concept in connection with the Down Town Pulse wave we wanted this space to grow with various types of art.”

“Therefore we are trying to find some peace and fulfilment in this informal space. It’s difficult to confine people into one block. But within this space we have been able to keep a community together. If we take the Hippie movement that emerged during the 1960s, they brought with them certain ideals. We see that there’s progress from how we initially started and right now we are experimenting whether we could enjoy ourselves through various genres of art.” 

Liyanarachchi further invites amateurs and those who like to experiment with the arts to come and experience this space. “One issue is that they find it a challenge to capitalise on their talents and creativity. So how can they commercialise on their creativity while keeping their identity? We can support them in terms of labour or from a monetary aspect or even on a spiritual level and encourage them to produce their creations and take it to the masses.”

“But we have to keep in mind that art is an ideology and therefore there’s something more than what is being shown, which is more human-centric. If we can initiate a dialogue with this regard, have more likeminded people coming to this space, I believe we can do better work and make an impact in society,” he said in conclusion. 
A series of interesting items have been lined up at this creative showcase which will conclude on February 27. From performance art by students of the Ogha Collective to live musical shows, discussions on theatre, stage plays and more, the Space is open to everyone who has a passion for the Arts.