Exhibition of paintings to celebrate 50 years of joy in producing beauty

Geetha Seneviratne marks her 50th successful year as a painter and sculptor by exhibiting fifty of her paintings at the Lionel Wendt on November 12 and 13 from 9.00 a m to 8.00 p m. ‘Titled Strokes of Serenity’ the paintings are of nature with emphasis on animals, painted on canvas with oils or sketched line drawings. She also paints on acrylic. This is her eleventh solo exhibition, her first being at the Samudra Gallery in 1973. Geetha has exhibited her work in New Delhi, Japan and Bulgaria.

She evinced interest in drawing and painting as a very small child and continued diligently while a student at Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya, She was a pupil of Gate Mudliyar A C G S Amerasekera, but claims she is more selftaught, inheriting artistic genes from her parents and growing up in an environment of music and artistry, with an elder brother himself a painter. She gratefully acknowledges mentoring which she received from world renowned artist – Sybil Wettasinghe.

Geetha taught art for a comparatively short period of time at Highlands College, Nugegoda and then conducted classes at her home. She is also an interior decorator and undertakes garden sculpture, having used her talent when commissioned by several offices and hotels.

Success and recognition have been hers from early on. She won the President’s Award for her sculpture titled Dushkarakriya at the 79th annual exhibition of the Ceylon Society of Arts in 1983. She also received the Kalabooshana State honour.

The exhibition this weekend at the Lionel Wendt is a celebration of fifty years in many faceted art which includes painting, sketching, sculpture and ornamental pottery. She concentrates on bountiful nature as her subject plus scenes from the lives of ordinary people. The work that will be exhibited is her most recent, done within the last two years.

It will be well worth your while stepping into the Wendt Gallery some time this weekend and absorbing both beauty of art work and serenity in these troubled times. You will also be honouring a dedicated artist who makes her life beautiful and others’ lives, with her talent

NPW