Arts
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| There’s
soul behind the strokes Naturally so, because painter Ranjith Perera, 63, is fascinated with eyes. Drawing the intricate lines of the bodies in his paintings first, he concentrates on the eyes last, be it his favourite charcoals or oils on canvas. And his inspiration, when he was just 11 years old had been David Paynter himself, who was restoring the beautiful paintings in the Trinity College Chapel. “While the other boys my age dashed out to play, I spent hours and hours watching David Paynter repainting some of the remarkable murals in my college chapel between 1957 and 1965 as they were damaged when part of the roof was replaced. Paynter’s painstaking task on scaffoldings reminded me of the agony of old Masters such as Michelangelo and Da Vinci. Originally painted in 1929-33, the murals depicting the parable of the Good Samaritan and the washing of the disciples’ feet by Jesus had a profound influence on me,” says this reticent and simple painter. The Crucifixion is another that has left an indelible memory. Harking back to his childhood, Ranjith recalls the numerous times when he would get “blasted” by his masters for scribbling and doodling during class work, with the only prize he secured in Senior School being, guess what, the Art Prize. After Trinity, followed Peradeniya University where he read Western History, Economics and Geography. There too his fingers itched to hold a brush and he blushingly concedes that he did a “few bad things”, where with fat pencil markers he would comply with the wishes of his batchmates and draw huge figures of attractive girls, sometimes nude, covering the walls of the hostel rooms. “The Maintenance Officer who was my uncle would walk around threatening to assault the culprit who drew these graffiti,” laughs Ranjith. But his uncle never found out that mild and unassuming Ranjith was the one. Kandy was also the ideal place to give free rein to his creativity – the scenery and places such as Udawattekelle acting as a spur. Then came a long stint, spanning 20 years, with Forbes and Walker as an auctioneer and broker dealing in rubber. During all those years with rubber bouncing, his hobby and first love – painting – was on the backburner, for he did not have the time to indulge himself due to the stresses of a career. Art seemed only a distant dream, as he rose up the corporate ladder to become a director. Suddenly, however, with early retirement, time became his own and he has been able, in the last 10 years to give into his yearnings, painting to his heart’s content, all day long at his cosy home in Nawala. Motivated and inspired by simple themes depicting the Sri Lankan way of life, he paints anything and everything that catches his fancy – culture, heritage, flora and fauna. Says Ranjith, “Painting and drawing from life is my first love. Sri Lankans and their pastimes fascinate me. The agony and ecstasy, their simplicity reflected in their faces make marvellous subjects for my canvases.” Sometimes this earns the ire of his wife, for she is horrified when he invites those passing his home, such as gypsies and never-do-wells to sit as his models. Although he had no formal education in art and he was “blundering along”, he later got the guidance and encouragement of Nadine David, herself a pupil of David Paynter, who he says “helped him refrain from making common mistakes”. Of
the strong belief that colour is the form of expression that mostly
differs among artists, Ranjith says, “I draw inspiration from
the rich colours around me. The birds, butterflies, flowers, trees
and fallen leaves are a lifeline for my art. According to Nadine,
“In Ranjith’s landscapes he sees colour no one else
sees and experiments with it, making the landscape glow with his
own unique vision.” A classical guitarist, his paintings are
also inspired by classical music. Art collector Thomas Bunn from England who displays Ranjith’s ‘Pathan Man’ and five charcoal sketches in his gallery in Birmingham has this to say, “He gives you simple joy with fluidity and confidence, conveying classical qualities with hints of expressionism and elegance of movement. When you experience any arousing of emotions when coming up against a work of art, be it an under-nourished mother and child, a blind man or an elderly woman reading her favourite book, even the average amongst us are fortunate to feel it.” Adds well-known British artist Sarah-Jane Sizikora, “When I saw the painting of the ‘Pathan Man’ it stopped me in my tracks. Ranjith has created a portrait that is alive, it makes you want to know what is happening in his subject’s world, just out of the frame.” That’s the impact Ranjith has through his paintings. One only needs to be at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery to be spellbound by his works. That
moment! “Photographing wildlife cannot be planned beforehand,” says Ranjit, the proprietor of Olga Studios, Kiribathgoda, who grew up as the only son of parents who were deeply interested in the environment and nurtured his love for all creatures of the wild. He says that the photographer must be patient in waiting for the right picture, and learn to discern the signs of nature, in seeking that special moment. For example, the cries of birds and the sudden fleeing of deer may indicate that a leopard or other such predator is nearby. He must learn the language of the movements of animals and be sensitive to changes in their manner. Ranjit feels that wildlife photography is a medium through which the beauty of Sri Lanka can be conveyed to the rest of the world. He hopes to have future exhibitions overseas, perhaps in the U.S.A, where he is a frequent traveller. In this, his second exhibition at the Lionel Wendt, he hopes to convey the message that trees, plants and animals have as much right to live in this world as do humans. The exhibition is sponsored by Kodak Acme Foto, Wellawatte, Vis Art, Peliyagoda, Seylan Bank and Geologistics (Pvt) Ltd. |
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