Capturing human expression is Jayantha’s forte
Twenty years after Jayantha Silva finished his schooling and stopped painting, he decided to pick up a brush again. He had always been drawn to art since his childhood but had subsequently stopped after reaching adulthood. He says when he was done with the painting, he was amazed by what he had drawn. He didn’t think that the artist in him would survive, but clearly it had.
Since 2003 Jayantha has been periodically exhibiting his figurative art and his 15th exhibition ‘Expressions 15’ will take place at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery from November 23-25 showcasing his work done with charcoal, pastels and acrylic paints.
“Anyone can be a good artist, who has good eyesight, muscle control, and the ability to observe and appreciate a subject,” says Jayantha, who believes that art is a valuable subject to pursue as there is a growing demand to purchase original artwork in Sri Lanka.
Jayantha’s paintings focus on facial expressions as well as body language. In one you can distinctly tell what emotion a man is feeling just from his eyes. In others you can imagine the expressions; like that of the two women carrying water jugs on their heads, even though what you see are their back views.