Spotlight on art and design by Ismeth Raheem
‘Art & Design of Ismeth Raheem’ a three-day festival unfolds in Colombo from September 6-8. Organised by the ARTRA Magazine, it will also see the launch of their 67th edition.
This edition of the magazine will feature a remarkable collection of over 65 works of art collated across Raheem’s distinguished career as an artist, architect and art historian. The curated works date from Raheem’s time working at Edwards, Reid and Begg in the 1960s, influenced by architectural greats Geoffrey Bawa and Ulrik Plesner among other contemporaries that resulted in an oeuvre with a profound understanding of the intersection between art and architecture, characterising his collection of seminal work as imaginative responses to built environments.
The artist and architect: A coloured sketch of Cinnamon Lodge by Ismeth Raheem and far left, more of his work
Previously hosted in Galle (the Laki Senanayake Edition and Art Experiential Festival, March 2023) and Bentota (the Comics & Caricatures Edition and Art Experiential Festival / Bawa Brothers, October 2023), this is the first time ARTRA’s Art Experiential Festival is being held in Colombo. The festival will be hosted in art and heritage spaces in Colombo, including the Harold Peiris Gallery at the Lionel Wendt Art Centre and the de Soysa House both designed by Geoffrey Bawa and situated in Colombo 7 and Colombo 3 respectively.
The programme across three days, features art tours, art exhibits and talks by well known personalities including architect Anura Ratnavibhushana who was an apprentice of Geoffrey Bawa and Ulrik Plesner at Edwards Reid & Begg in the 1960s, 2022 LVMH Prize nominated designer and artist Amesh Wijesekara, children’s author and Senior Professor in English at the University of Colombo Professor Neluka Silva, Professor Sharya Scharenguivel, currently Emeritus Professor of Law and former Dean, Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, and daughter of the owners of the De Soysa House, as well as Ismeth Raheem himself.
The festival opens on Friday, September 6 at 6.30 p.m. with the launch of the magazine with an evening of art, conversation, canapes and cocktails with Raheem, celebrating the over 65 selected works of art including paintings, drawings, wood panels, woodcuts and etchings collated from the 1960s onwards.
Day 2 will take place at the Harold Peiris Gallery of the Lionel Wendt Centre with art talks as well as an exhibit ‘Purveying the Body’ curated by Azara Jaleel and showcasing a selection of 30 photographs by Lionel Wendt from the Lionel Wendt Memorial Fund Collection. Day 3 on Sunday the 8th will be at the de Soysa House and will feature an interactive walk-through of the space at 9 a.m. with talks to follow.
For tickets to ARTRA’S Art Experiential Festival | Art & Design on September 6 – 8 and to pre-order a copy of the Art & Design of Ismeth Raheem Edition 67 call +9477 570 1891. For more, see https://artra.lk/programme-of-aef-sep-2024
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