Arts
White, the colour of the forgotten
It took Prasad Hettiarachchi 39 years to be discovered for his talent in 2014. Now with “Exclusion” his second solo exhibit on at the Barefoot Gallery which runs until June 3, he hopes to reach a wider audience.
A canvas at a glance: The cannon, saravita box and the makaraya and below a closer look at each object . Pix by Priyantha Wickremaarchchi
Prasad’s miniature paintings draw the eye with their intricate detail and the stories they unravel. ‘Exclusion’ paints the inequality that development has on less privileged members of society – isolating them to almost feelings of exclusion from the transforming world.
From a bird’s eye view Prasad’s paintings seem unfinished – the miniatures occupy only the sides of the canvas leaving vast expanses of white between drawings. “This is intentional,” the artist explains.
Gazing at the paintings we see elements almost symbolic of certain areas of Colombo. One painting depicts the contradictions in a once iconic area flanked by the seaside and an endless chain of hotels. For years Galle Face has been associated with fun and leisure but Prasad pays no heed to this, instead drawing a “Saravita Pettiya” (a box of flavoured, coloured betel parcels) the making of which is a common means of income for many in the area. On one side of the elaborately detailed Saravita Pettiya is a cannon and on the other side a drawing of a “Makara” (Devil) where the symbolism reflects the Chinese influence of the Port City coming up in the area.
The soft spoken artist has taken much pains in including his viewpoints of the marginalized. His idea in leaving blank spaces in his canvas, are so that low income people “have room to paint their own destiny,” he says.
Prasad Hettiarachchi
It’s a personal project for this painter. Prasad, born in1975, lived in urban Rajagiriya, Kotte before moving to Bentota in early 2018. The eldest son of a craftsman with a younger brother and sister, Prasad has gone through his own share of hardship. “I’ve used my own hands and skills set to alleviate my position,” he says.
While living in Rajagiriya Prasad had been witness to the reconstruction of the area. With development came only more hurdles for the impoverished. Although not politically influenced, Prasad’s paintings depict themes of failure of largescale development projects to provide the expected positive outcomes to every social group.
Recent news of breaking of shanties and housing schemes of low income earners for new roads etc. are some such examples of the problems faced by the poor.
These 20 paintings are his tribute to the forgotten. The white expanse of the canvases allow the minority members the chance to grow, as Prasad did.
“They can do as I did and unleash their skill set as a means of lifting themselves out of their lifestyle,” he says.
Adamant to finish his education Prasad found his potential in art around the age of 11 or 12. One of his earlier works was exhibited in France at the UNESCO Centre by the Sri Lanka Cultural, Social and Educational Association of France in 1994. Over the years he has won numerous awards and participated in art workshops and projects since the early 90s. He attributes his creativity to coming from an “artistic family” — his father and siblings enjoying the craft as much as he does.
Having received admission to the University of the Visual & Performing Arts, he says that at the time it was a tough call as circumstances made him forgo the opportunity. “I had to immediately earn a living to survive and I knew if I went on to University then I would be studying for around four years with no means of an income,” he pragmatically shares.
Kick-starting his career as a professional commercial artist two years ago, Prasad went on to work for many art collectives – learning new skills from the various artists he met along the way. His first exhibition “An Unbelievable Taste” was presented at the Theertha Red Dot Gallery in Colombo 8 – where he was soon discovered by artist Alex Stewart. His connection to Barefoot was then established allowing him to exhibit “An Unbelievable Taste” at the Barefoot Gallery in 2015.
“Exclusion” will run until June 3 at the Barefoot Gallery. The Barefoot Gallery is open from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday.
