Painting between the headlines and deadlines
An accidental artist is how he describes himself. And if they cast their minds back a couple of decades, readers of the SUN newspaper of yesteryear may recall the ‘Ibson’s Choice’ cartoons that appeared daily on Pg 3 of the newspaper starring a quirky turtle with an astute worldview. Created out of a need at the time when the SUN’s cartoonist Amita Abeysekera decided to switch to The Island, they were done by none other than the newspaper’s Editor, Rex deSilva who stepped in initially to fill the breach. “We had a hole on Page 3 of the SUN without his (Amita’s) cartoon.
Rex de Silva
So I sat back and began to doodle a few pieces and for the love of turtles I named it Ibson ( Ibba in Sinhala),” he says of his creation that became an integral part of the Sun.
Best known in local circles as the dynamic and fiercely independent Editor of the Sun and Weekend in the ‘70’s and 80’s, (he was appointed Editor of the Weekend SUN at the tender age of 25), Rex left to Brunei to pioneer the Borneo Bulletin seeing that newspaper flourish under his guidance for 21 years. A long-time foreign correspondent for the German Press Agency dpa and specialist in South Asian and South-East Asian affairs , he also writes under the names Don Mithuna and Lyan Don, and is presently enjoying semi-retirement as an independent Editorial Consultant, dividing his time between his New Jersey home in the US and Sri Lanka.
Little known to most of his newspaper colleagues, “between deadlines and headlines” Rex painted in private for many years. Now though a body of his work has gone on show in a prestigious Philadelphia Gallery, the Bellevue along with the paintings of two accomplished American artists Katherine Fraser and Shelley Shultis. Titled ‘Karmic Eye Art’, the work being exhibited is influenced by Buddhist teachings that transcend the cause and effect concept of karma, he told the Sunday Times in an email.
“The theme was an after-thought when I realised there was a common streak of karma in my paintings. Most of these are based on legends, beliefs, myths and folklore. Buddhist teachings have had an intense influence too.”
Entirely self-taught, with ‘hits and misses’ in dealing with his preferred medium of oils on canvas, Rex says he has always admired art as a very creative media and has great respect for those talented artists in Sri Lanka like S.H. Sarath, Tilake Abeysinghe and Jayasiri Semage, whom he counts as good friends. Though he does not follow any established style, his canvases are awash with vibrant colour, influenced by the likes of Gauguin and Matisse.
Hanuman
The response to the Philadelphia exhibition which has now been extended till early October, has been more than positive. “I found that a lot of young professionals were interested in knowing more about the paintings.
I had a time explaining to them about the cultural and cosmic aspects etc.,” he says, pointing to the renewed surge of inquiry about Asian teachings of Buddhism and Hinduism in the west these days.
Ever the meticulous journalist, he provides the background to each painting on his website dedicated to the exhibition www.karmiceye.wordpress.com
Any chance that Rex’s erstwhile readers in Sri Lanka will get to see his art sooner than later, we ask but the veteran Editor refuses to be drawn. His art, he says, is “just a pastime to keep myself occupied in my vintage years.”
Follow @timesonlinelk
Related Posts:
Lifetime Achievement presentations to five senior journalistsFive senior journalists will receive the Distinguished Service Award for Journalism in Sri Lanka, at the 13th edition of the ...
Art exhibition brings out Swanee’s other ‘love’Swanee Jayawardene would occasionally refer to painting as her “fourth child.” There were times when it claimed her utterly and ...
The headlinersIn a simple but colourful ceremony at the Mount Lavinia Hotel in Colombo on Tuesday night organized by the Editors’ ...
Those hauntingly familiar paintingsIt’s been nearly five years since Nelun Harasgama last had a solo exhibition, yet her paintings remain hauntingly familiar – ...
Threats make journalists practise self-censorship: Himal Magazine EditorSelf-censorship merits more discussion because the ‘volume of timidity is very high in journalism,’ Editor and Publisher of the Nepal-based ...