Puzzled about puzzles? Visit ‘Piece by piece –going on and on’
Jigsaw puzzles have fascinated people for centuries. How these tiny pieces fit together to form a wonderfully intricate mosaic picture intrigues and engages us. Jigsaws, and the fascination they exert have certainly engaged Nanda Wijesekara who is now ready to exhibit her puzzles for the third time.
If you feel that a jigsaw puzzle exhibition is rather unconventional, then you are not alone. Nanda says that most people cannot understand the concept of a jigsaw puzzle exhibition until they actually see her framed puzzles. “I feel that the best way to understand this is if you actually come and see it,” she says.
A former teacher, Nanda retired from teaching when her husband received a scholarship to study in England and the family migrated with him. Upon returning to Sri Lanka, she began making costumes until her eyesight deteriorated. Friends who knew of her love for jigsaw puzzles began sending her puzzles from abroad and she began what is now a full time occupation. “I don’t feel the time pass,” says Nanda, who often starts doing her puzzles at 9 a.m. and continues till almost 3 p.m. – sometimes even forgetting to stop for lunch!
A 1000-piece puzzle takes her 2-3 days on average and she has whittled down the process to a science. No puzzle is too daunting –Nanda often uses bottle caps as markers and yoghurt cups to sort out the different pieces. She feels that the most difficult part of an elaborate puzzle is sorting out the pieces. “After you sort them out then everything else falls into place and it’s very easy to make the rest of the puzzle,” she says.
The two most interesting puzzles Nanda has made are now quite famous to anyone who knows her work. The first is a colossal 9120-piece puzzle which is an exact replica of ‘A New Map of the Entire World 1611’ by the famous Dutch cartographer Pieter van den Keere. The puzzle was a gift from her son and daughter- in-law. “They thought this would keep me occupied for a few years but it only took me a matter of weeks to finish,” she laughs.
Nanda Wijesekera and right above, a completed jigsaw puzzle. Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
In order to understand the complexity of the other one, you must first understand how jigsaw puzzles are made. Puzzles are made by cutting the cardboard length and breadthwise, rendering the other side of the puzzle flat. This double sided puzzle, which is called the ‘World’s most difficult puzzle’ has been made by cutting one side lengthwise and the other side breadthwise. It is impossible to know the sides of the pieces because neither side is flat. Sounds complicated? The pattern on the puzzle is of smarties which have been placed differently on the two sides. This puzzle has clearly carved a special place in Nanda’s heart.
As a former teacher Nanda still takes a special interest in children. She describes how her grandchildren like joining in and helping her with her puzzles. They are so fast – sometimes they come and see the pieces which I have missed out and tell me where to put them, says Nanda. It was a question asked by her young grandson, Nilesh, which actually brought about the exhibition. “I usually store my finished puzzles under my mattress. Once, Nilesh saw the puzzles and asked me what I plan to do with them. I replied that I was going to have an exhibition and since then he kept asking me.” ‘Piece by piece – keep it going’, her first exhibition, was followed by ‘Piece by piece – still going’ and now ‘Piece by piece – going on and on’.
All proceeds from selling the jigsaws exhibited also go towards helping children – Nanda buys something for the children at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital with the proceeds. She doesn’t believe in donating the money which may go towards constructing new buildings but “instead, I buy things which the children themselves can benefit from such as a TV and DVDs,” she says.
Nanda has just one regret. “I wish I could have organised a jigsaw puzzle competition for children so that I could promote this hobby among them,” she says. As a former teacher she feels children should be introduced to the magic of jigsaw puzzles but lack of a sponsor to hold a competition has been a stumbling block. She hopes that she will somehow achieve this goal.
‘Piece by piece – going on and on’ will be held on July 8,9 and 10 at the Lionel Wendt Gallery. Anyone interested in contacting Nanda to help her organise a jigsaw puzzle exhibition can do so on 011-2717499.