Black Paintings & Other Works: An exhibition by Chandraguptha Thenuwara
Chandraguptha Thenuwara’s “Black Paintings & Other Works-an exhibition of paintings and installation” was inaugurated today (3 April 2010) at the Lionel Wendt Gallery, Colombo. The exhibition will continue till 5 April 2010.
He has used perfect colours to depict the situation. Many art lovers had a preview today.
Chandraguptha Thenuwara says “The exhibition consists of two parts – one, the preface consists of three previously exhibited works and the other represents the current moment with nine new paintings and an installation. The preface was needed because the ideas expressed through the works are still valid. Among them is a triptych (2007) based on three selected Dammapada of the Lord Buddha that – ‘hatred never ceases by hatred’; ‘to all, life is dear and all fear death’; and ‘one should neither kill nor cause to kill’. The other is the ‘Erasing Camouflage: Peace’ Triptych (2008); and the third is a painting which I exhibited last year in July, with the slogan ‘… now there is only Black and White’(2009). I believe these works merit discussion again because we are facing a moment in which we are compelled to be cautious and to go forward with greater care”.
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Thank you, than you, thank you, Thenuwara.
I don’t have words to describe how I am awed by Thenuwara’s work.
Groundviews, thank you for the pictures for those who cannot go to the exhibition.
I appeal to civil societies to take the exhibition all over the South – President Rajapakse said that he didn’t know about the camps and the barbed wire in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzGj2hYoymo&feature=youtube_gdata
When Sinhalese and Tamils were brought together in peace workshops in 2002, the Sinhalese learnt about what was being done to the Tamils in the army-run Northeast in the 80s and 90s – we know very well that the news of the 51 Tamils mowed down on 24 July 1983 by the revenge-seeking army was not allowed into the rest of the country for several days – otherwise Black July would NEVER have happened.
I firmly believe that many in the deep South would try to bring an end to the hatred-mongering by politicians if they are not told lies and if they are told the truth.
This exhibition answers the call by Edward Mortimer:
Panel on “Towards the 2011 Reform: Can the UN Human Rights Council Be Fixed?” Edward Mortimer, Geneva, 9 March 2010:
”……. It is, of course, rather sad that, when the Council has not yet been in existence for four years, we are asking whether it can be “fixed”. The Council was established, after all, precisely because many people, including Kofi Annan, had come to the conclusion that its predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights, could not be fixed, and that something new and better was needed.
……… So the task of all of us who care about human rights is to frame the debate differently, and above all to take the case to public opinion within the many democracies of the developing world.
….. When we see positive change in governments’ behaviour at the UN, it generally reflects change within the societies that they represent. And therefore I believe that the struggle for improvement in the Human Rights Council is one that needs to be pursued not only through conventional intergovernmental diplomacy but also through political work at the level of civil society. It is through what people like us in this room say and do, not only at meetings in Geneva, but through constant and consistent advocacy within our own societies and in our interaction with each other’s societies. We must take the debate to the people.”
WE MUST TAKE THE DEBATE TO THE PEOPLE.
The paintings were not arresting either aesthetically or as political statements.
Thenuwara’s paintings of snakes:
http://www.lawandsocietytrust.org/PDF/Mannar.pdf
Report of the Inter Religious solidarity visit to Mannar, 23rd April 2008:
”We heard from the people as well as the security forces in charge of the camp that the camp is snake infested. We saw a snake that was killed when we were in the camp, and were told that snakes are killed there daily.”
http://www.groundviews.org/2009/08/01/forcible-resettlements-in-east/
Forcible resettlements in East, 1 August 2009:
”Fear was also expressed of being surrounded by Sinhalese villages and threats caused by wild elephants.”
Thank you. great work.
these works represent the concience of the sensitive folks and are are disturbing ……
these are a representaion of a country in moaning… ….
the fact that it is done by a sinhala artist make them honourable….
but at this juncture these can only be accepted by very few who identify with the sentiments of the artist………