Beauty of Sri Lanka’ photographic exhibition in US

By Jagath Kanaherarachchi

Arrangements are being made by the America Sri Lanka Photographic Art Society, Los Angeles (ASPAS) to host ‘Sri Lanka in Focus USA: Beauty of Sri Lanka’ photographic exhibition for the fourth consecutive year this week.

The ASPAS has been organising exhibitions to familiarise the wonders of Sri Lanka with the far West for the past several years.

Organised in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Consulate General in Los Angeles and the Sri Lanka Tourist Promotion Bureau, the exhibition is held in three locations in the USA. On 20 and 21 April the exhibition would be held in Los Angeles at the Art Gallery of Kerckhoff Hall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In New York, the exhibition is scheduled to be held on two consecutive days – 25 April (6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and 26 April (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) – at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York. Lastly, in May, the exhibition is scheduled to arrive at the administrative capital of the USA – Washington DC – where it will be held on 4 May from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington DC. The exhibition also coincides with Earth Day which is observed every year on 22 April.

To make the exhibition more attractive to the public and to promote tourism in Sri Lanka, it will include a series of related events, including a seminar, lectures, a cultural performance, and a screening of a video on Sri Lanka Provided by BBC and produced by the Blue Planet nature documentary.

The Chief Guest – renowned professor Saloni Mathur who is Professor and Chair of the Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art Department – will deliver a keynote address relating to the history of South Asian photography. Prof. Priyanga Amarasekare who is a Professor of Ecology and Environment Biology at UCLA and a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (ESA), will make a presentation on biological and ecological mechanisms that maintain biological diversity in variable environments. Medini Rathnayaka will be the compere of the event.

The exhibition comprises 75 captivating photographs encompassing the uniqueness of wildlife, culture and art of Sri Lanka. From lush greenery of rainforests, pristine sandy beaches, and the grandeur of Kandy Esala Perahera to the intricate carvings of Polonnaruwa Gal Vihara, the majestic tea estates of the misty hill country, and the unique fauna of the dry zone national parks, the exhibition will take the visitors to a world of natural wonders, rich biodiversity, and cultural heritage.