“Serendib Perspectives”, is a unique exhibition of paintings, held by a father daughter duo, Jayaindra Fernando and Randhini Fernando, at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery from July 15 to 17, 9 am to 8 pm. As the title of the exhibition indicates, the subject matter relates to exciting aspects of Sri Lankan scenery and its nature.
Art is a past time of Jayaindra, professionally a Consultant General Surgeon. While his favourite medium include, water colour, acrylic and ink, Jayaindra’s art is inspired by the natural and historical heritage of Sri Lanka which include trees, flowers, birds, butterflies, and archaeological sites. He loves to include a lot of details in his work.
Jayaindra has held exhibitions in the past, in 1984, 1988 and 2000, in addition to several contributions to other exhibitions. His art has been published in several journals, and he is the co-author of “Fruits of Sri Lanka” which includes illustrations of 84 fruits. Many art lovers from several countries have been lucky to acquire his work over the years.
Randhini held her first solo exhibition titled ‘Shades of Lanka’ back in 2010. Inspired by her father Jayaindra, she is a self taught artist. She tries to encapsulate the beauty of Sri Lankan scenery which include historical places and wildlife. It covers a wide area around the country from the North to the South, from ancient ruins surrounded by grassland to rich dense foliage.
Randhini’s paintings are done in soft pastels in a very pointillist style. Soft pastel is a medium made up of powdered pigment held together by a binder. While art has always been her hobby and a passion, she also holds a degree in Law and is a Cellist in the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka.
While the two artists cover slightly different aspects of Sri Lanka through a range of media, the exhibition finds unity and a common thread in its aim to draw attention and interest in nature and heritage of Serendib, expressed in the artist’s own perspectives.