Bengaluru: B. A. Sudath Abeysekera is from Sri Lanka, having started his art journey in his hometown of Galle. Galle is in the southernmost region of the country. However, he has been living in Colombo, the nation's capital city, along with Achala Gunawardena, his artist wife. The couple were in Bengaluru recently to participate in the three-day national and international artists camp hosted by the Krishna Setti Foundation.
Advertising company, owns Art Way gallery: B. A. Sudath Abeysekera did his initial studies at Galle's Nagoda Royal College. Later, he completed formal education at the Visual and Fine Arts University in Colombo. Then began his journey to quench his urge to immerse himself in the art of painting, which proved short-lived. That was when he got associated with a leading advertising company to make a living. The stint at the first company enabled him to start his own company and also gave him the impetus to pursue art activities in a full-fledged manner in Colombo. Both B. A. Sudatta Abeysekera and Achala Gunawardena launched the 'Art Way' gallery in Colombo and thereby committed themselves wholeheartedly to the process of working on paintings.
Visit to several countries: The experiment of painting full-time paved the way for visiting a host of countries and opened up a series of opportunities. He also went to England in 2002 to attend a residency program in installation art. Later, they spent enough time in Korea and China, doing paintings and participating in a variety of activities related to painting.
Three-month residency program in China: Perhaps the highlight among all these abroad visits happens to be the three-month residency program at Guanlum in China. The huge museum there provided an hitherto unheard experience for the couple to get deeply involved in the journey of making paintings. The three-month residency program proved to be an amazing experience worth cherishing later.
Printmaking, contemporary work...: After trying installation art, B. A. Sudath Abeysekera and Achala Gunawardena experimented with printmaking art, contemporary work and experimental contemporary work. Thanks to their decision to devote themselves wholly to art, they have been incessantly involved in all these art forms.
An opportunity to come in close touch with senior artists: Sharing his experience on participating in the art camp hosted by the Krishna Setti Foundation, B. A. Sudath Abeysekera informed, "I have already participated in international art camps organised by the Krishna Setti Foundation. It's a big opportunity to meet and come into close touch with several contemporary international artists. Chi Su Krishna Setti is a very good coordinator, apart from being an equally good artist, and it is a matter of privilege to be part of such a camp".
More or less the same problem in Sri Lanka: Dwelling on the current situation prevailing in their native country, B. A. Sudath Abeysekera asserted, "Actually, the situation in Sri Lanka is more or less like that of any other country due to the global crisis triggered in the West Asia region due to the war mongering attitude of the United States and Israel against Iran. There has also been a financial crunch to an extent, making the lives of ordinary people miserable, and of late, the conditions have also improved for the better, by and large...
...Conducive atmosphere of art-related activities: However, the overall atmosphere for art-related activities continues to remain encouraging. The Fine Arts University in Sri Lanka is a very well-known cultural centre blessed with veteran professional artists. As a result, contemporary and modern art have enough takers in society. There is also no dearth of enthusiastic learners in a variety of art forms".
National and private galleries: B. A. Sudath Abeysekera also dealt with the art-related infrastructure and resources currently available in Sri Lanka. "There is a big national gallery in Colombo, presently undergoing repairs, and there are also other private galleries, including in Jaffna. The Fine Arts University also has a functional art gallery, along with many other private ones".
Five centuries old Buddhist culture: He also emphasised the traditional cultural history of Sri Lanka, "For being a five-century-old Buddhist traditional culture, there are tremendous traces of religious temple culture. For instance, Sigiriya is widely known for its temple architecture on par with the Ajanta cave sculptures in India! Thanks to such a rich cultural background, many modern artists have made a name and fame, including George Kit and Solis Menis. Thanks to such a grand amalgamation of the ancient past, the traditional cultural ethos has led to a fine blend of contemporary and modern art in a big way".
We believe in exploring the world: When quizzed about the possibilities of an artist making a living by practising, B. A. Sudath Abeysekera narrated their own experience in the field, "Yes, initially it wasn't all that easy, as I also began doing a job working for a private company. Even my wife, Achala Gunawardena, was working as an art teacher in a government school. Later, I founded my own company, a gallery and quit my job in the advertising company. Likewise, did Achala, and that's how we became dedicated to art the whole time. Maybe it was tough going and a sort of struggle to start with, but that rough patch was no deterrent to continuing and surging ahead. We, together, continue exploring the world by visiting several countries along with our artworks, which have proved to be a successful journey so far".
-Manohar Yadavatti
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