Launch of ‘Senaka’ on Tuesday

By Madhushala Senaratne

Senaka, a publication by Harsha Bhatkal on the life and works of a child prodigy and later internationally acclaimed artist Senaka Senanayake, will be launched on December 4 at the Colombo Hilton, it was announced at a media conference held yesterday.“Senaka is a personal approach and is not an analysis of the artist’s work”, said its author and publisher.

“The book contains his works from different stages of his life, such as paintings done as a child, as a student at Yale University and those done after he was married. The book also brings out his interests, especially with regard to the environment,” Mr. Bhatkal said.

Mr. Senanayake said that through this book and his work, he hoped to educate the younger generation not only on art, but also on a range of vital issues such as global warming.“In the last few years, I have been concentrating greatly on issues such as rainforests and the impact of global warming on the environment,” Mr. Senanayake said.

“I was looking for a way to create awareness on such issues and I believe art is a way to do so, for example by portraying the beauty of the rain forests and attracting people to this beauty.” Born in 1951, Senanayake was exhibiting his work even at the tender age of eight. So far, he has held over 100 exhibitions worldwide and has also opened galleries in Sri Lanka to provide opportunities for other artists.

Self-taught, he draws his inspirations from a variety of subjects, ranging from traditional Buddhist art to natural beauty and the environment that surrounds him. He uses vibrant colours and his paintings display an aura of contemplative stillness. The 180 page book, Senaka would be available at Vijitha Yapa book stores for Rs. 5000.