Kumar’s love affair with Paris continues with ‘Nostalgie05’
View(s):Kumar de Silva is back again, this time with the fifth edition of his annual series of black and white photographic exhibitions – ‘Nostalgie05’ which brings the streets of Paris to life in a trillion shades of gray as part of the current French Spring Festival 2015.
“This year’s theme has been inspired by one of my very strange hobbies which is – observing human behavioural patterns.
The streets of Paris constitute a gigantic and living open-air art gallery with its little microcosms of performance art. There are its conscious performers whom people watch, look at, applaud and recompense, or even totally ignore and walk away. There are also those unconscious ones whose performances are more spontaneous and refreshingly unpredictable. They are there … all over. You only have to stop and look … as they unfold beneath your eyes in a multi-dimensional real-life performance,” says Kumar.
Modestly describing himself as “an absolutely amateur photographer”, Kumar adds, “Camera in hand, I enjoy walking around, mainly alone and undisturbed, be it in Paris or anywhere else in France, leaning against a lamp-post or a garbage bin, sitting on the pavement and recording diverse scenes from day-to-day life.”
Kumar De Silva has had a long association with France spanning three decades. In recognition of his efforts in promoting the awareness and enrichment of France’s cultural heritage, he was bestowed the title – “Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters” – by the French Government. His previous exhibitions are online at www.kumardesilva.com.
Chief Guest at the gala opening on Friday, July 10, will be State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene while Guest of Honour will be cinema legend Irangani Serasinghe whose 1950 portrait by Ivan Alwis once adorned the galleries of the Petit-Palais in Paris.
Presented as part of the French Spring Festival 2015 and hosted by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Alliance Francaise de KOTTE, ‘Nostalgie05 – The Streets of Paris’ is free of charge and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12 at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery.
All profits from the sale of photographs will go to the Scholarship Fund of the children of the award-winning press photographer, the late Rukshan Abeywansa.
Nostalgie05 is partnered by DIC Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Lionel Wendt Arts Centre, Lou Ching Wong, Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu, Neidra Williams, Nuran Gomez, Seya Colour Kalubowila, Softwave Printing and Packaging Pvt Ltd, The Film Team, Theme Resorts and Spas, Tiesh and Vitte Software Solutions.