Remembering George Beven – the man and the artist
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George Beven. Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
George Beven, one of Sri Lanka’s greatest modern artists passed away peacefully on January 29, 2023 in London, UK with his lifelong partner Wolfgang Stange by his side.
Born in Negombo in 1929 he initially made a career in journalism working for the Observer. He also had a flair for both tap dancing and fashion design, and excelled at both, but it was his art that really defined him. He had numerous exhibitions in Sri Lanka and in the UK, culminating in the Retrospective of his work at the JDA Perera Gallery last year.
He was initially sent to London in 1955 by the Observer to learn more of his craft and returning in 1956, worked as a journalist, artist and fashion designer. However, by 1958 after seeing both his sister and mother move to the UK, he too made the move.
His first solo exhibition in 1958 at the Royal Empire Society building was a huge success. The subject matter was almost wholly influenced by Sri Lanka, and he made a name for himself by painting in oils using his fingers. The style which he captured then, remained with him.
George met his lifelong partner in art and life Wolfgang Stange in the early 1970s and they made yearly visits to the island. George Beven will be remembered for his use of colour, movement and the male form. He was preoccupied with the nude male figure, its tonality and beauty. His landscapes were equally captivating and captured some of the best of the Western art tradition marrying it with both the colour and vibrancy of a tropical island.
I had the great fortune of meeting George through Romesh de Costa, one of his longtime friends and unofficial art dealer. I loved George for his candour, and not ever taking life too seriously. While he excelled at his art, I do not believe he even took that too seriously. He also considered himself a true Sri Lankan, once jokingly telling me in Sinhala, “I am a boy from Negombo, little brother.”
George was born to pre- independence Sri Lanka, and fortunately for us Lankans, he never forgot his home.
- Lahiru Pathmalal
By Tina Edward Gunawardhana
This friendship lovingly nurtured over three decades was extended to my husband and I. George and Wolfgang made us feel very much part of their extended family and we would visit each other especially when my mother-in- law used to visit London. When my son was born, George and Wolfgang were some of the first to visit.
A brilliant artist who came into his own in middle age, George remained humble about his talents. He was a very unassuming man who at times was almost shy to accept the praise that was heaped upon him. I remember covering the exhibition at Barefoot Gallery to mark his 90th birthday. It was full of Colombo’s hoi-polloi but instead of taking centre-stage and revelling in the attention, George was almost hidden in a corner watching the evening progress from a vantage point.
During the last few months of his life,
my husband and I were able to visit George and Wolfgang frequently. A man for whom colour was an essential attribute, George would wear his bright Barefoot sarongs and brighten up the room in an otherwise dreary winter.
Much has been written about George the artist from his time at St Martin’s School of Art in the 1950s to one his paintings of Princess Margaret hanging in Kensington Palace, but for us, George was more than an artist of repute, he was a friend, a real salt of the earth man who along with Wolfgang was always ready to entertain and accommodate visitors both in Sri Lanka and Negombo. They complemented each other perfectly and in the latter stages of George’s life, Wolfgang completely dedicated himself to caring for George.
In George we found a friend who taught us to be humble despite all the grand achievements in life. That is the legacy George bestowed on my family.
George’s funeral will be held on 23.02.2023 at 1 p.m. GMT and will be live streamed on https://www.youtube.com/@standrewsfulham9116/streams
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