TV Times

Prageeth paints a different picture

Prageeth Ratnayake's maiden solo painting exhibition 'The Text' is now being held at Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo.

A student of the Faculty of Visual Arts of the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Prageeth said the exhibition will be open from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm and will be held on July 30 and 31 too.

Hailing from family of painters and artists, Prageeth's father, Willy Ratnayake was a influential figure while his elder brother Sujith Ratnayake an award winning painter was his supporter.

‘My father did his painting with experience and he painted everything from billboards to pandals in the village. What my brother and I learnt from the university was that the science of painting is very important’ said Prageeth speaking to the TV Times.

Pradeep studied at Hungama Primary School and Kalunna Maha Vidyalaya, Ranna, Tangalle, and entered University from Tangalle National School.

‘Painting is not an easy task. One need a lot of practice and discipline to be a painter."

Painting 'white on white', a rare style used by the artist in this medium, Prageeth said that he tries to address a society where there is identity crisis among individuals.

‘There is a crisis in identifying who we are. There are no role models and due to this we can not evaluate ourselves as to who we are? Where we stand?," said the young painter.

‘The worst of all is with this crisis the important values like respecting elders have changed’ Prageeth claimed.

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