The times that mould us
Pix courtesy Neleisha Weerasinghe
The now ubiquitous lotus is what inspired one artist, when much of the world went into lockdown and most of us were forced into some form of solitude. “The fascination with the lotus plant started when I entered a group painting challenge during COVID. The challenge was to paint a flower a day and it was recommended to find one from your own surroundings and I could find only this small blue lotus in my mother’s home-made pond,” says Neleisha Weerasinghe, painter and illustrator.
“It came out really well which made me want to paint more of it. I went looking for more ponds and that’s how the series started.”
Fascinated by this beautiful bloom and its unusual leaf emerging from the mud, she looked further around and saw with new eyes the constantly flowering Peralanda Lake in Ragama. “I’m more intrigued by the leaves which have self-cleaning properties, which is known as the lotus effect.”
Neleisha tried to learn more about the lotus plant and why it is revered in some cultures. “The lotus flower cannot be the beautiful bloom it is if not for the water, sun, air and the mud. Each day as it reaches out of the water it is as if to say thank you to all these elements that make it what it is. What I understand by it is that we should be grateful for the circumstances we have faced and the situations we are in, even the dark times, people we are part of and who are a part of us. They all make us who we are.”
Neleisha has been painting since childhood, but decided to do it fulltime five years ago when she left the corporate world in search of something more satisfying.
She started out with acrylic and has moved on to oils as serious collectors of art tend to favour this in her experience.Her style has changed over time, she feels, with the brushstrokes becoming less forceful, and more relaxed. “It’s becoming more abstract. Realism doesn’t really interest me, as I’m trying to be more creative.” Her fascination with the lotus has led to a spurt of works which she will be exhibiting online next week.
The exhibition is called True Blue – a reference to steadfastness – and will run from September 1-7 online at artbyneleisha.com
You can check out some of Neleisha’s art on her Instagram page @artbyneleisha
(NA)
