Lalith Senanayake is a truly multifaceted artist. Strolling through his maiden exhibition 'Agasti' at the Lionel Wendt Harold Peiris Gallery last month, I was overwhelmed by the depth and diversity of the artwork on display. Bound together under the theme 'Agasti', a shade of reddish brown mineral, Lalith's effort oozed quality, with paintings and sculpture descending from the tradition of abstract and live art.
Rarely do I buy sculpture, but Lalith's 'iron sparrow', welded together using old nuts, bolts and metal was so original and precise in its pose, that I booked it immediately. I also booked an interview with the unassuming young artist, whose name I had first come across through his cartoons and caricatures in the Island and Divaina newspapers in the 1990's.
"I did not want my art to go unnoticed and waste away at home. I wanted to show people my work and the best way to do that was through an exhibition", says Lalith, who also plans to venture overseas with 'Agasti', a few proposals already in the pipeline. "Agasti is a shade of brownish red, also known as called 'vermilion' that radiates from a type of mineral, and I used this colour combination to form the backdrop of most of my paintings to create a kind of connection between the pictures" he adds.
The paintings and sculptures derived mainly from work done over the last two years, but some were over a decade old. Tucked away in a corner, beside the colorful oil paintings was a white board displaying some of his early cartoons - sketched while still schooling. Next to that a lay a collection of more recent cartoons and caricatures published in the newspapers.
An oil painting depicting flying arrows and envelopes sketched on a reddish brown background catches my eye. 'Email' I wonder? Lalith affirms my query. At the end of the hall is a realistic painting of a leopard - crouching for the kill. "I still have not been able to complete the background in this one" says the artist - but I don't notice a deficiency at all.
With every painting and sculpture encountered, it becomes indisputable that Lalith is equally skillful in both abstract and live art (not to mention cartoons!), the 'Email' and 'Leopard' pictures being apt examples. A painting of the face of a beautiful woman with a bright red background also catches my eye.
"This one I drew in just forty five minutes using a girl as a model" says Lalith proudly, adding "Each artist has a unique way of seeing the world. Each has a unique fantasy, and can use either natural or mythical elements to depict it. An artist can even depict things not of this world".
So what is Lalith's unique fantasy? "I draw from the traditions of abstract and live art. My attempt is to try and fuse these two highly specialized forms to create something unique", he says. "Art is actually a unique language that is communicated to each individual's sensitivity. This means that understanding the language of art depends on how each individual interprets it. Therefore placing a broad definition on art is difficult" he notes.
In another corner of the gallery are some paintings done according to the Kandyan style. "I learnt most of these styles while following the four year higher diploma course in art and sculpture at the National Museum from 1993 to 97" says Lalith, who during this period also ventured on art excursions drawing murals in the Kandy Gangarama temple and the Bandarawela Kahaduwa temple, which was an interesting experience for him, being a Catholic.
The higher diploma course, pioneered by artist S.P Charles, best known for designing the National Flag, proved to be a lifeline of sorts for Lalith who was working as a waiter at the time. "My father passed away after my O'level exam and due to economic hardships I could not complete my A'level exam and instead worked as a waiter" he says. During this time he applied for a job as an artist to the 'Navaliya' newspaper and used the money he earned to fund his studies at the Museum art course. From 'Navaliya' he moved onto 'Vidusara', 'Divaina' and 'Island' newspapers - where legendary cartoonist Wijesoma advised the young artist to learn as much as he can about art - and also created in him an interest in wildlife drawings.
Lalith is a classic example of a talented man, who used the advice and goodwill of others to fight all odds and reach great heights in his chosen field of creativity. However he insists that he has much more to achieve and is still experimenting with styles and forms. Blessed with the correct blend of right attitude, courage and raw talent - Lalith is definitely an artist with a difference, and one who stands a good chance of lending something substantial, maybe even groundbreaking, to the magical world of art.
By Gihan de Chickera
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