Exploring abstract expressionism at 95
Water of Life, is a solo exhibition by the nonagenarian Lankan artist renowned for his exploration of abstract expressionism. His unique approach draws influences from American Abstract Expressionism as well as Buddhist and Zen philosophies.
Widely regarded as the father of abstract art in Sri Lanka, H.A. Karunaratne has spent over six decades developing a visual language that blends materials ranging from fabric to metal, creating compositions that evoke rhythm, energy, and dissonance.
Present at the opening was Japanese ambassador to Sri Lanka Isomata Akio. H.A. Karunaratne’s connection with Japan has been long; early in his artistic career in 1961 he studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music on a Japanese government scholarship and more recently he was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun Gold and Silver Rays by the Japanese Government.
A graduate of the Government College of Fine Arts in Colombo (1958), Karunaratne who was born in 1929 studied under renowned artists Stanley Abeysinghe and David Paynter and also won a Fulbright Award to the Pratt Institute in New York (1966). His influence in the academic sphere as a lecturer at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya, Colombo saw him mentoring many of the leading artists of today.
Karunaratne has been recognised both locally and internationally. His works have been exhibited globally and are part of several prestigious collections, including the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi, the Museum of Modern Art in Kamakura and Hayama, the Himeji City Museum of Art, and the Fukuoka Collection in Japan.
He has also received the ‘Kala Suri’ award from the Government of Sri Lanka.
Water of Life will run until March 31 at PRSFG, 41 Horton Place, Colombo 07.
A warm greeting from the Japanese ambassador and above and below, some of H.A. Karunaratne's works. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
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