Ceylinco Life's 'Ran Daru' art exhibition sets new record

More than 117,000 paintings sent in by children from all parts of Sri Lanka vied for honours in a record response to the third 'Ran Daru' art competition and exhibition organized by life insurer leader Ceylinco Life.

Picture shows twelve scholarship winners of the Ceylinco 'Ran Daru' art exhibition with the directors, manager of Ceylinco Life and child comperes Pramudhi and Nithyawani.

The event which concluded at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC) recently is one of the largest and most successful initiatives involving corporate sector interaction with the community. Intended to stimulate and support the development of artistic expression among the youth of the country the event is organised annually under the banner of Ceylinco Life's 'Ran Daru' Child Protection Policy, the company said.

The competition was conducted in four age groups this year and culminated in the award of 12 cash scholarships worth nearly Rs 600,000 and 488 consolation prizes, providing a cumulative prize value of more than Rs 1.5 million to participants. Additionally, every one of the 117,000 participants will receive attractive certificates for their efforts.

Speaking at the presentation of awards, Ceylinco Life's Chief Executive Director R. Renganathan said the company had come forward to provide a fitting showcase for the artistic talents of the children of Sri Lanka, because it believed that children are the greatest treasure of the country. "The artistic abilities and the ideas and concepts represented at this exhibition are a tribute to the children of Sri Lanka," he said.

The eminent novelist, children's artist and illustrator Sybil Wettasinghe who headed the panel of judges, said many of the paintings submitted by children for the 'Ran Daru' art competition demonstrated remarkable patience and skill. "Painting is like meditation, and the work of these children shows that they have the qualities to make good citizens," she said.

The exhibition comprised 500 of the best paintings from the four age groups that participated in the competition, which was open to children from pre-school age to 18 from all districts of Sri Lanka.