Sunday Times 2
Sri Lankan curates works of Russian Emigre artist, Alexander Sofronoff in London
View(s):Shevanthie Goonesekera curated her first major exhibition in London of impressionist paintings by a recently discovered Russian Emigre artist, Alexander Sofronoff. The exhibition was hosted by the Rossotrudnichestvo, the cultural arm of the Russian Embassy in Kensington, London on November 6 and was supported by the Russian Ambassador, Mr. Yakovenko.
Alexander Sofronoff lived in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) for 12 years having fled Russia in 1919 during the Revolution. This artist’s life was one of upheaval and movement travelling to China, but despite all the challenges he faced, he maintained an exceptional flair for painting and an ingenious eye for colour. The Japanese invasion into Shanghai took him to Ceylon in 1936 where he travelled to the island as a theatrical scene painter with the Shanghai Russian Ballet Company.
The exhibition opening was followed by an illustrated lecture and presentation with Shevanthie Goonesekera sharing her fascination for the artist’s life and journey across a revolutionary route, which she recalls all started when she purchased a painting by
Shevanthie Goonesekera third from left
this artist in a fine art auction in England. Shevanthie believes that it is evident from many of the works on display that Sofronoff finally found a perfect sanctuary on the island.
A total of 38 paintings from individual private collections were on display with owners loaning their paintings from across the UK for the three-day exhibition which focused on the final phase of the artist’s life in Ceylon. Sofronoff was fascinated by light and atmospheric weather conditions. The paintings exhibited captured a variety of scenes; Pettah Market, up country and low country, mountain scenes of Namunukula, Ella Gap and Adam’s Peak, night-time village scenes, moonlight seascape scenes, landscapes, portraits and still life including delicately painted orchids – each with a certain vibrancy capturing the lush beauty of the country.
Shevanthie who wrote the book ‘Mount Lavinia, the Governor’s Palace’ (of which a second edition is due to be released this December), is currently working on her next book on the life, the journey and influences of this unknown Russian emigre artist.