A visual treat and the story of an artist and her country
View(s):
Anoma autographing her book at the Colombo launch
This book is not only a retrospective of Anoma’s artistic life, it is much more than that. Surely it is a powerful record of one woman’s life in images but it is also the story of the trials and tribulations of Sri Lanka, over the last 40 years. Embodied in the artist’s work is a response to the happenings in a country she clearly loves, of people she strives to communicate with – not with harsh hyperbole, but with a call for humanity in a softer, more subtle and sophisticated way. A call that has a universal significance.
Anoma creates aesthetically engaging art work, which defies easy categorisation. In her paintings, installations, videos and sculptures she seeks out imagery that refuses to be didactic, rather, in impalpable and intriguing ways, her work poses questions about personal values and sociopolitical visions.
Charting her passion for the visual arts for nearly over 50 years, this monograph communicates the artist’s ability to evoke the aspirational and affective concepts of spirituality, emotion, mystery and the cosmos, whilst addressing her concerns for the future of the planet. Climate change and sustainability, inclusivity and interculturalism, and, above all, amity and reconciliation are the thoughtful provocations that underpin the surface allure of her work. Several of the artworks are in private collections around the world and this monograph provides an opportunity to catch a glimpse of her life’s work.The use of non-traditional, non-durable materials and the incorporation of ephemerality in some of Anoma’s art installations means that this book is the only comprehensive photographic record of their existence.
The publication ‘Anoma’ provides a fascinating insight into the artist’s early life, her commitment to family and friends and her life as a student, designer and lecturer. It also gives the reader access to Anoma’s process and method of working, as exemplified in her sketchbooks and the images of her working in her studio. It comprises over 200 images and includes illuminating essays by Prof Emerita Jane Rapley, at Central St Martins: Prof Emeritus Gananath Obeyesekere: the Indian art critic Rosalyn D’Mello, writer Richard Simon and the London art dealer Jana Manuelpillai. Each writer’s point of view and interpretation is so varied that it opens up a whole new understanding and approach to appreciating her oeuvre.
The monograph ‘Anoma’ sponsored by Rockland’s Colombo No.7 Gin had its London launch at Central St Martins, University of the Arts, on International Women’s Day, 8th March 2019. Chris Sanderson, co-founder of the leading trend forecasting and consumer insight consultancy ‘The Future Laboratory’ whose clients include Google, Facebook and Unilever to name a few, spoke of Anoma’s formidable energy and force as a painter and a person. This book is testament to his claim. It is no coincidence that Anoma was invited to show at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2016 and at the European Cultural Centre during this year’s Venice Biennale.
‘Anoma’ is by all accounts a stunning book, one that draws you in and holds you in its thrall. Although no reproductions can fully do justice to the original art work, this publication has been exquisitely designed in London by Micha Weidmann Studio, who have created award winning art books and catalogues. The monograph makes you want to keep returning to it – to find out more about the artist and to re-engage with the issues and visual pleasures trapped between its covers.
(The reviewer is Associate Professor of Art & Design, IOE, University of London(UCL))
| Book facts | |
| ‘ANOMA’ – a monograph. Reviewed by Lesley Burgess |