Features
Iromie Wijewardena – Award-winning Visual Artist
PLACES, PEOPLE & PASSIONS (3Ps)
Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
chandij@sympatico.ca
Profile
Iromie has painted for over five decades. She has represented Sri Lanka at numerous international exhibitions, with her work displayed in prestigious galleries in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. Iromie was the first Sri Lankan artist to have a painting depicted on a foreign postage stamp (“The Royal Procession,” Yugoslavia). Two of her paintings are in the Presidential Collection in Sri Lanka. In 2006, “Iromie Wijewardena Paintings” book was published, and she was elected Chairperson of the jury panel of the prestigious Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh. In 2021, she was awarded the Kala Vibushana Award by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
After 40 years, first chat in 2023
I saw Iromie at an art exhibition in Colombo in the early 1980s. I knew of her as a young visual artist with great potential for a promising career. I did not get an opportunity to speak with her then, but from a distance I followed her career over the next four decades.
In the middle of the pandemic, my elder son, Marlon, called me on a Sunday, from Vietnam. He was working there as the General Manager of Value Addition of a large fashion garment company. “Thaththi, after six years in Vietnam, I decided to move back to Sri Lanka and look for a new job,” Marlon surprised me. Having visited him in Vietnam a year ago, I was impressed with his work in leading a team of 600 associates. I was also very happy to note his popularity in his latest adopted home, after Sri Lanka, The United Kingdom, Iraq, Guyana, Jamaica, and Canada. Mainly owing to his charming personality and his ability to speak Vietnamese, Marlon was very popular among his superiors, peers, and subordinates.
“Putha, as you clearly know, the whole world is in an uncertain crisis management mode owing to the global pandemic. It is not a good time for you to change countries and jobs,” I advised him. During that chat, I realised that Marlon had fallen in love again, and wished to be close to his new girlfriend, who had recently returned to Sri Lanka from England after completing her studies. Worrying that I might post something prematurely on social media, Marlon was reluctant to provide me with any other information!
Iromie at her studio in Colombo five
During our next telephone chat, Marlon provided me with carefully selected limited information about his girlfriend. She had recently qualified as a barrister, she is the only child of a Wijewardena family from Colombo, and her mother is a well-known visual artist. Soon after that chat, I checked Iromie Wijewardena’s Facebook page and learnt that her daughter had recently returned from England and her name is Natalie. Marlon was shocked when I sent him a text with one word: NATALIE? He called me back immediately, and said, “How did you find out in five-minutes? You are correct, Thaththi. Please keep it to yourself for the time being. Please, no posts about this on social media!”
A few months later, Marlon moved back to Sri Lanka. He then introduced Natalie to me as his fiancé, over a zoom video. “I just proposed to Natalie, and our two mothers are already planning a grand wedding in Colombo, when the pandemic ends and the ‘Aragalaya’ situation improves”, Marlon told me. I was thrilled that a great artist would be Marlon’s mother-in-law.
Soon after I arrived in Colombo a week before Natalie and Marlon’s wedding, in March 2023, I was invited to Natalie’s parents’ house for dinner. I was excited to meet them and Natalie and talk with Iromie for the first time. “My favourite paintings and paintings which won awards are in my private collection. I had many offers, but we decided not to sell these” Iromie told me, while taking me around the house. I felt privileged, to experience a private tour of an amazing private gallery, which they call, home.
I was most impressed. Iromie was also a charming hostess. We then agreed to meet for an interview after the busy period for both families during the wedding, homecoming etc. We met at their house again, just before my return to Canada in late April 2023. I posed 10 questions to Iromie.
Iromie featured in the back cover of an issue of Reader’s Digest Magazine – which has the largest circulation of any periodical in the world.
Q: Out of all the places you have visited in Sri Lanka and overseas, what is your favourite and most interesting place?
A: That is a hard question to answer as almost all the countries I have visited have their own uniqueness about them! However, when not in Sri Lanka, I always find myself gravitating to Paris, especially the area of Montmartre, as it is full of life and art!
Q: Out of all the inspiring people you have met, who inspired you most to paint for five decades?
A: At the start of my career, it was my university professors who really encouraged me to keep painting and persevere. However, it has been my own love and passion of creating art that has kept me painting for such a long time!
The cover of Iromie’s current art brochure
Q: At the present time, what is your key passion in life, other than visual art?
A: While art takes up most of my time, when I am not painting, I gravitate towards the performing arts – music, dance, and theatre. I find the rhythm, movements, and choreography to be very inspiring.
Q: Can you talk more about the foundation you laid for your career when you were a student at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies of the University of Kelaniya and Wilson College in USA?
A: While at university, I made a concerted effort to immerse myself into multiple disciplines of art, including sculpture, textile designing, leather work, graphic art, and art history. All these different areas of art helped and influenced my style of painting to become what it is today.
Q: You had the honour of representing Sri Lanka at numerous international exhibitions in the USA, UK, France, Germany, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Bangladesh, UAE, and Cuba. Which exhibition resulted in your most memorable experience?
A: My most memorable exhibition was at the Joseph Broz Tito Gallery in former Yugoslavia. My painting, “Royal Procession,” which was done in the Sri Lankan temple mural style, was selected by the Sri Lankan Cultural Ministry as Sri Lanka’s choice for the Non-Aligned Countries Gallery in Titograd. This then led to the opportunity for me to be invited to hold a solo exhibition at the same gallery, which was a truly unforgettable experience.
Q: Can you talk more about the opportunity of becoming the first Sri Lankan artist to have a painting depicted on a foreign postage stamp?
A: In 1985, the Yugoslavian government selected five paintings, from 50 galleries, to be made into postage stamps. The ‘Royal Procession’ was one of the five selected, which was an immense honour and a great highlight of my career.
Q: How was the experience as the Chairperson of the jury panel of the prestigious Asian Art Biennale in Dhaka, Bangladesh?
A: Being a part of the Asian Art Biennale has always been a very fulfilling experience and being made the Chairperson and working alongside the others in the panel, all celebrated and talented artists from across Asia, was a great privilege. The Biennale itself comprises artists and paintings from 34 countries, and it is very interesting to see the different styles and methods used, as every artist’s process is unique and often influenced by their own culture. As part of the jury panel, I found it quite a challenging task to pick one artist to win from each category, as the talent at the Biennale is immense.
Iromie with daughter Natalie and husband Lucille
Q: The beauty of the female form is predominant in your recent works. What are the main themes for your work over five decades?
A: The themes of my work have evolved through the years. Initially I concentrated mostly on landscapes and seascapes, and then moved on to figure compositions. Since moving to figure compositions, my paintings have revolved around the female form, mostly depicted in village life. I have chosen to paint art that highlights not only the beauty and elegance of women but also the pivotal role played by women in society.
Q: Can you explain your process and the average duration in creating a commissioned painting?
A: My process varies with each painting and is rarely ever the same. It often depends on the medium used, as working with oils and acrylics can be different. As for duration, it tends to be very unpredictable – once I had a buyer who wanted a painting done in a week!
Q: What is your main advice to young visual artists dreaming of a career like yours?
A: Expose yourself to different forms of art and don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles and media. Develop your own unique and individual style and keep in mind that it is perfectly fine for your style of painting to change and evolve!
Next week, 3Ps will feature an entrepreneur focusing on sustainable development of community tourism to showcase authentic cuisine of Sri Lanka…
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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