Giving expression to human emotion
The shadowy human figure towers over the mountain, his face devoid of any emotion.
The portrayal of the limbless human is what young artist Ruwan Prasanga wanted to create on canvas as a metaphor for people in society who are divided and chained by the ideologies of politics, culture and religion.
Ruwan and (below) some of his creations
Preparing for his third solo art and sculpture exhibition, ‘A Different Feeling’, Ruwan will be presenting his skills in abstract art and stone sculpture.
Ruwan’s previous solo exhibitions, ‘Rock Art’ in 2010 and ‘The Difference’ in 2016 met with success and his paintings were embraced by art lovers including the renowned British abstract artist Angela Smith.
A graduate of the University of Visual and Performing Arts, specialising in sculpture, Ruwan always yearned to explore new styles of art by experimenting with different media. “The genre of abstract is very versatile. An abstract work can generate many meanings,” Ruwan says.
The exhibition will feature around 40 paintings and 16 stone sculptures displaying his interest in portraying the human figure in abstract form. His stone carvings are indeed unique as they feature human heads showing different emotions on either side of the face. “The natural shape of the granite piece is used to create different emotions,” Ruwan explains.
Constantly updating his knowledge by researching the works of international artists, Ruwan thinks Lankan artists tend to maintain a certain style in their work but believes that the concept of art has moved beyond canvas and paint. “Artists should have a creative identity of their own.Yet, they should be updated and move forward with new forms of creativity,” he says.
Ruwan currently teaches art at Waturawela Gamini Vidyalaya and Pathiraja Maha Vidyalaya, Galle and is a regular exhibitor at the annual ‘Kala Pola’.
‘A Different Feeling’ will be held on October 26 and 27 at the Lionel Wendt Gallery, Colombo from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For further details on the exhibition please contact U.L.Ruwan Prasanga at Majuwana Road, Gonapinuwala or on 0772648116.
