Capturing a passion on canvas
Passion could drive a person to achieve many things in life, and to some it could also bring about a sense of freedom. This is just what pushes 27 year old Shevan Vincent Gunasekera, to create the way he does. He tells us that one day he hopes to become an abstract expressionist. His present work ‘Revival’ sets this journey and will be exhibited at the Harold Peiris Gallery of the Lionel Wendt on July 29.
Shehan
Shevan recalls falling in love with art between the ages of 24 and 25. “That’s when I started loving the work of Jackson Pollock and Picasso and came to understand their importance and how important it was for them to express themselves in a liberal fashion,” he tells us. Shevan was also heavily influenced by the people around him, who were very much into music, art and galleries. “That sort of culture was embroidered in me.”
Aside from this, when the new media of art, such as 3D and animation in video came in, this was when he felt that it took art to another level and that pushed him towards it more. “Now you can express yourself so much more. And as opposed to before, today there’s a lot more job opportunities, especially in the advertising fields,” he explains
Back in the School of art, Canberra Australia, where he studied, Shevan, practiced on digital software, art theory and political and sociological theories, which really intrigued him. He recalls that this also gave him the liberal freedom to express himself. “Despite how hard the curriculum was, they always gave us a lot of freedom, to express ourselves,” he relates.
Our conversation moves on to his inspirations, Picasso and Jackson Pollock. Shevan explains that Picasso brought in something new, every single time he created. “He brought in a level of art such as cubism, which was so complex and unreal, but still real at the same time because it was so personal,” he says. This stirred his passion more.
These weren’t his only inspirations however, for whilst in school he was also constantly inspired by Sri Lanka artists such as Anoma Wijewardena, Marie Alles Fernando and Geoffrey Bawa. This was because he felt; they bring out a sense of love and intelligence through their work.
Pix courtesy Shehan Gunasekera
Shevan strongly believes that every goal or dream today has to be driven by passion. “Passion is, at the end of the day, what makes it all and can break it all.” This is the same with Shevan’s art it’s his love for his work, “which makes his art more personal. “If you come buy a piece of my art you’re taking a piece of me home.”
Even when it comes to creating art, that moment in itself is so intimate, Shevan relates. “As you see in Jackson’s work, he almost killed himself because of his artwork. That is the level of extremism that he went to,” he shares.
Back in Canberra, Shevan has been a part of two exhibitions and graduation exhibition, in the school of art. He tells us that this is where he got some exposure. ‘Revival’ will be his first exhibition in Sri Lanka.
Shevan humbly attests that even though he’s a graduate, he’s still a student and has a lot to learn. To him, “the school of thought is important than a school of art,” because it’s all about having that sense of direction whilst painting.
‘Revival’ will give its viewers a sense of where Shevan hopes to go in life. It will also capture his passion on a canvas. Shevan tells us that people can expect the unexpected from his work.
