Arts
Life is one big adventure
Capturing memories of his travels through the lens: From underwater (below) to the wilds of Wilpattu (above) and on our cover, a serene sunset shot by Santhush of flamingoes at Mannar
From being a photographer and artist, to a licensed diver and amateur kite-surfer, Santhush Weerakoon is somewhat of a thrill-seeker. Having an adventurous spirit, this 36-year-old wants to live a full life by experiencing everything that the world can offer him. “I can’t imagine myself repeating the same day over and over again in time to come, I just want to have the satisfaction of looking back and thinking what a beautiful world I live in and value the blessings of life,” he tells the Sunday Times.
The youngest in the family with just one older brother, Santhush is a banking professional who schooled at St.Anthony’s College Kandy and when he left in 2002 proceeded to gain the bankers’ qualification and a forex dealing certificate (which is related to his specialized field of work).
Nearing the end of his second decade of life, he realised that he needed something more than just his usual routine. Then came his foray into painting. Then followed other different outdoor pursuits – hiking, safaris, diving, etc. His paintings are all inspired by his travels and adventures.
Photography also came naturally as he wanted to capture the different things he witnessed. Photography and painting were a way of drawing out the canvas he had in his mind to bring back memories to share with his friends.
Santhush: Living life to the full. Pic by Indika Handuwala
“I feel the best memories that I’ve had are the close encounters out there in the ocean,” Santhush shared as he recalls one of his most unforgettable dives a few kilometres from Kalpitiya. As he was tailing a pod of sperm whales (just to take a picture from behind) who had come across their dive path, one of the whales had noticed Santhush’s presence and turned around, heading straight at Santhush. With the distinct sound of a clicking sonar, the whale came right under and turned over to make eye contact with Santhush. Another whale came close and pushed the curious whale out of the way, then they both proceeded to fade away into the ocean as they resumed their journey. During that moment Santhush recalls how he felt “numb with excitement”.
With just a little under a 100 dives in his log book, it is quite surprising to find that Santhush had a fear of water when he was younger. However documentaries on the ocean and ocean life helped overcome those fears which have led to his best experiences. He says diving is his favourite passion because of the breathtaking beauty of it all. “Sri Lanka, being surrounded by the ocean and the rich tropical waters makes it a paradise with an abundance of ocean life filled with colourful corals and different varieties of fish.”
It was after one of his diving trips in Kalpitiya that he stumbled by chance on his relatively new passion kite-surfing in ‘kuduwa kalapuwa’.
Noticing the number of kite-surfers and alarming lack of locals, Santhush decided to give it a try. Still an amateur hoping to get better with practice, Santhush wants to bring more attention about kite-surfing to Lankans as there is even world-wide recognition for the amazing conditions Sri Lanka (notably the Kalpitiya Lagoon) provides for kite-surfers. “Foreigners travel thousands of miles just to get here to experience this, so we as locals, why not benefit from what we have at our doorstep?” he asks.
“If each one of us is out there understanding the impact and the power we have towards the world, we can align our lifestyles to conserving this for future generations,” Santhush adds as he confesses that after observing nature and being in the wild, he has developed a deep respect for the environment that urges him to be focused on conservation measures. He believes that by people getting more involved with the outdoors, they will come to appreciate what the world has to offer.
It is not just Sri Lanka that Santhush has trapezed around, though he does say Sri Lanka is the best place to travel as there are countless attractions so close together.
He has enjoyed the Europe steeped in history, the rich culture of the Nepalese, and the beauty of Port Douglas. There are many more places, Santhush has had the delight of being in but as he aptly puts it, “I can go on about travelling but certain memories can never be well expressed enough.”
Kite surfing: Relatively new passion
“Every adventure is a memory, even if it turns out to be a not so good experience, because you are still left with the satisfaction that you are out there and exploring,” Santhush says. This belief alongside prompts from friends and family has led to Santhush organising an exhibition of his art and photographs. something which he always wanted to do, to share his experiences with the public. He will also be releasing a coffeetable book of his experiences and photographs, in the hope that it will lead others to follow their passion.
Santhush Weerakoon’s exhibition will be held at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery on September 20 to September 22.
See also, Facebook – Santhush Weerakoon and Instagram – santhush_weerakoon