Masterpieces by artist Gunasiri at the Wendt

Road to village-wahalkada

A visual arts exhibition titled ‘Diyasayame Geethaya’ by Gunasiri Kolombage will take place at the Lionel Wendt Art Centre in Colombo on March 30 and 31 from 9 am to 6.30 pm.
A press release issued in connection with the event states that as many as over fifty aquarelles -watercolor paintings- executed by Gunasiri Kolambage, a master of the medium, will be assembled at the gallery. Although the current century is quite young, this show may be considered as the ‘water colour exhibition of the century’. Gunasiri, the genius who produced these masterpieces, can be considered as the last link in a chain of great artists that have appeared in Sri Lanka during the past century.

Watercolor is said to be the most troublesome medium for any painter for its unamenable quality of transparency that rejects corrections; every brush stroke is a final one. It is evident from this show that this genius has mastered it as any other medium he deals with. Its obstinacy has been reduced and disciplined by the master’s sharp eye and the dexterous hand.

Here, the painter offers great diversity to art lovers; an unbelievable variety of themes, subjects and even objects, too. Among them you see Fuming lime kilns – so warm, Nuwara Eliya lake- so cool, Glory of Parasites, Orchids and orchids and Lester James, Tissa Abeysekera, and the bare posterior of an Indian girl as well. Portraits reveal his remarkable ability to depict even the skin tones. He does not render on his canvas the likeness of his subjects and wants to give them character too. His work is not only about what he has seen, but also on what he has felt. The impression wants to convey his impressions.

It is an undeniable fact that Kolambage has contributed immensely to the field of art by introducing and developing new methods and techniques in painting with watercolours, oil, acrylic, gauche and related art forms.

As a young boy attending Rambukkana School, in his native area, he recollects that a wall in his home was decorated with pictures of animals, naturally hostile to each other; cat and mouse, cobra and mongoose.  But in his paintings they are playing together in bonds of harmony. It could have been his father’s way of inculcating the value of coexistence in the mind of his children. Fascinated by the pictures he began daydreaming of being an artist. Home ambience was conducive to his aspirations. His father, being a sort of connoisseur of arts in his time, was acquainted with several artists. 

Years later he entered the College of Fine Arts, Colombo and after his graduation he joined Walter Thomson Ltd in 1969. The same year he won the 2nd prize and three consolation prizes in the Shell Painting Competition. Kolambage was now showing his colors in the contest. Leaving his job, now as Creative Director, he joined A.J.N. Seneviratne Company and subsequently Ranjith Jayasuriya Associates; both leading advertising companies at the time.

 A wizard in the field of advertising, Kolambage devised many successful campaigns for prestigious clients with most lucrative accounts in Sri Lanka. He has also worked as an Art Director for Concept Communications, Brisbane, Australia. Exhibitions he participated in saw him winning prizes and awards so numerous to be detailed here. He has travelled widely in Europe and Australia.The creative output of this genius is enormous, yet his indefatigable hand is always ready for more work. He says painting is the mission in his life.