Iromie at World Art Dubai
Iromie in Colombo last week. Pix by Indika Handuwela
A painting by Sri Lankan artist, Iromie Wijewardena of a group of Lankan fusion dancers was shown in Dubai in April when Dubai hosted its premier art fiesta – World Art Dubai 2016, bringing together renowned and emerging artists and art galleries the world over under one roof.
Iromie was the only Sri Lankan invited to represent the country at this year’s World Art Dubai, which showcased an impressive global collection of more than 3000 paintings of 140 artists from over 30 countries.
An artist who has gained international stature with many local and international exhibitions, in addition to the number of awards to her name, Iromie had the opportunity to exhibit her painting at the Indian Gallery that was featured at the show, following an invitation by a gallery in India.
The four day art festival, declared open by the ruler of Dubai, was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Showcasing the art work apart, it was a great learning experience to have had the opportunity to meet fellow participants and discuss the world art scene, she says.
“It was an opportunity to meet the world’s best since most of the galleries representing various countries had their artists with them instead of just their paintings. We were able to interact with the artists on the spot, to speak to them, to learn about their styles and the mediums, etc. There were also art talk shows, art demonstrations and lectures, cultural sessions,” says Iromie
It was quite an eye opener to find that Dubai is such a big art hub with quite a remarkable art loving public, she says.
“With so many private and public galleries and so much of hype especially because it is the art season in Dubai, the country has so much to offer an artist. We always think that West and South Asia have a history of rich art. But to think that the Middle East has so much contemporary work is something impressive, she says.
The painting she exhibited in Dubai
The amount of freedom given to the artist to freely express themselves on canvas was something equally impressive, she says.
“What I noticed about the artists representing the Dubai Gallery was the way they have been free to express themselves about the human figure – especially the female form. There was nothing to stop the artists from expressing their ideas on canvas,” she says.
Adding that her painting drew quite a good response, Iromie says she was invited to showcase her work at galleries abroad.
It is important for artists to participate in international exhibitions to showcase Sri Lanka’s rich art to the world rather than being confined to Sri Lanka alone, she says.
An artist who had been painting for 40 years, Iromie’s particular flair is to capture female beauty, especially the rural women – their life styles and emotions on canvas in shades of bold colours.
A journey she started with landscape drawings, she evolved into different areas as time went by from doing temple paintings to drawing the average rural woman.
While some of her paintings are permanently displayed at prominent places such as the Visumpaya- the State Guest House, Josip Broz Tito Gallery Yugoslavia, Army Head Quarters Colombo, National Library Colombo, National Art Gallery, Central Bank, Lyudmila Zhivkova International Foundation Gallery Sofia Bulgaria, Bandaranaike International Airport Katunayake, she has served on many distinguished panels including the Jury Panel of the 12th Asian Art Biennale Dhakka Bangladesh and as an examiner Art/Design International Baccalaureate Organisation UK.