Arts
|
|
|||
| A
parade of memories Years later, all grown up now, the girl is drawn once more to those simple pictures. She takes a photograph of these photographs and now they are hers – her memories, her little fragment of a time gone by. For Menika van der Poorten, the exhibition of her photographs titled “Timepieces” is in fact a collection of memories and a tribute to the passage of time. “I had a very large family, plenty of aunts and uncles and cousins, especially on my grandmother’s side,” she says, “so many of them were larger than life characters.” The eldest child in her family, Menika grew up listening to stories about her family and their exploits. “I would just absorb all these stories,” she says. For instance there is the tale of the Belgian patriarch - her great-grandfather – who made his money in the plantations. A picture of his wife is to hang in the exhibition: a Sinhalese woman who would regularly receive letters from her adventuring husband, assuring her that he would return and that she was not to believe anyone who told her otherwise. He did come back to her, and though they did not speak each other’s language (making the letters something of a moot point), they managed to live happily ever after, or so the story goes. This ancestor who travelled extensively, Menika says laughing, will always remind her of a buccaneer pirate. Today, Menika, herself a professional photographer says that for her many of her photographs, (like many of those childhood stories) are composed of memories not entirely her own. “My memory is not my ‘own’. It is interwoven with the memories and stories of my mother, father, uncles, aunts, forefathers, friends, glimpses of other people’s lives and stories.” Menika explains that while to the viewer her selection of photographs may look random, the truth is far from it. The photographs take the form of “a parade of memories”, each finding a place in a personal journey of snapshots of her life – taken over a period of many years. “For me these images are like keys that unlock sudden, hidden areas of my memory. Each one evokes feelings of nostalgia, anxiety, joy, loss or contemplation.” For Menika this exhibition is intensely personal, with every picture speaking directly to her. Some pictures she says are of simple things like faded flowers, Bo tree leaves, and interiors of houses, while others are of people and places, but they all strike a chord. She hopes they will resonate with her audience as well. Having been involved in photography for over 20 years now, Menika has been a teacher, photographer, picture researcher and coordinator, both in England and Sri Lanka. Currently she is attached to the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts and also teaches photography on a freelance basis. ‘Timepieces’ will feature approximately 40 of Menika’s prints, the first time she is exhibiting such a large number. “I suppose in some ways this is my first solo exhibition,” she says, adding that she has had other exhibitions, but for most part with other photographers. Women Imaging Peace, an exhibition of South Asian women photographers held in New Delhi just last year is her most recent. She has previously had her photographs exhibited not only in Colombo but in London and Amsterdam as well. The exhibition which will be on at the Lionel Wendt on March18 and 19 is mainly sponsored by the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts. Gallery hours are from 9 to 8 pm. Dance
treat for children Hapana goes on the boards on March 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. while Berahanda will be staged on March 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. To help bring these fascinating ballets to a younger generation of children, The Foundation will also present special school shows on the morning of Thursday, March 16, and Friday, March 17. The school shows begin at 10.30 a.m. Created by Vajira in 1979, Hapana is about a little fish who against all odds, teaches his fellow fish to unite and work together to defeat their common enemy, the shark. Set in an undersea world of colourful fish and other wonderful ocean creatures, Hapana went on to become a classic in Sri Lankan dance theatre. The ballet has provided an opportunity for talented young dancers from the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya to showcase their skills over the years. In 2001, Vajira was inspired to create her latest masterpiece, based on a story by the late Bandula Jayawardene. Berahanda is a complex story that combines love with tragedy. The ballet begins with a love story between the god Sakra and a beautiful weaver girl on earth, but ends with the child from their union committing a sin – the slaying of an ox to make a drum – and being condemned to the netherworld by the god Sakra, who does not realize the boy is his own son. The ballet underscores the importance of parental guidance, and how children could go astray when left to their own devices. The first half of each day’s programme will include dance items choreographed by Vajira, including Saraswathie Pooja, Ves, Pantheru, Ukusa and Snake Dance. Funds raised from the Ballet Festival will go towards the building fund of the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya, one more step towards the completion of their dream – the rebuilding of a national dance academy. The ballet festival is sponsored by Anchor, and media sponsorship is provided by Derana TV. Women
on women Sugandhi has held many exhibitions over the past few years but this one has just one focus: All 20 paintings she will display, (oils on canvas) show women in some activity or another. Moreover, she shares the spotlight with a young woman artist. “I like painting women,” says Sugandhi, who is also an active member of the Zonta Club 11. She feels women must support each other in their daily lives because they understand all too well, the challenges and difficulties they face, hence the theme “Women recognizing women’. Sugandhi painted in school then gave up after marriage when she was preoccupied with bringing up her two daughters and only resumed her interest after 1979. She has held many joint exhibitions with her sister, well-known designer Purnima Abeyratne and also exhibited in Dubai. The exhibition will also introduce Nimalee Rajapakse, a final-year student of the Institute of Aesthetic Studies whose work has also been featured in many exhibitions. ‘Women recognizing women’ opened on March 9 and will continue till the 23rd at the Alliance Francaise in Colombo. Kiddies,
it’s your favourite fairytale in Sinhala The cast comprises Wishvajith Gunasekera, Sanjaya Hettiarachchi, Chamila Peiris, Lakmini Senevirathne, Niranjala Manjaree, Sharmain Gunaratne, Suresh Fernando, Mayura Kanchana, Nayomi Gunaratne, Chamila Priyanka, Aruna Jayasena, Pramod Edirisinghe, Dinuki de Silva, Pramudi Karunaratne, Hiran Abeysekera, Ishara Wickramasinghe, Champika Kannangara and several new actors trained at the Play House. Send
in your entries The entrance fee is Rs. 50 per short story and Rs. 30 per poem. Material submitted will not be returned. Payment should be either by cash or cheque made out to the English Writers’ Cooperative of Sri Lanka. Money orders/postal orders will not be accepted. The entrance fee is non- refundable. Entries should be sent by Registered Post to reach on or before April 30, 2006, to Mrs Vijita Fernando, The English Writers' Cooperative of Sri Lanka, 572/10 Welikadawatte, Nawala Road, Rajagiriya. Envelopes should be marked COMPETITION on the upper left hand corner. Late entries will not be accepted. Winning entries will be published in a subsequent issue of Channels Magazine. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
