Sunday Times 2
Semage in Singapore
Veteran Sri Lankan artist Jayasiri Semage’s most recent exhibition of paintings was opened in Singapore on May 20.
In fact, Singpore is where he had his first solo exhibition three decades ago and since then he has done many painting assignments in Singapore and Malaysia to paint walls of Buddhist temples.
This exhibition which is on at the Buddhist Library Art Gallery will continue until June 3. It was declared open by Ven. Dr. Bellanwila Dhammaratana Maha Thera, the Chief Sanghanayaka of Singapore.
Semage has taken Sri Lankan traditional art, mainly Buddhist in spirit to, not only Asian countries but also to the West and even to Arabian countries where he was warmly welcomed as a cultural ambassador. Semage’s work also has absorbed many modern elements while retaining its Sri Lankan identity.
Semage’s paintings in Singapore are a collection depicting village life, fauna and flora, cultural events, and other representative scenes. The exhibition is sponsored by Sri Lanka Telecom.