The transformation of the Sri Lankan art took place at the tail end of the colonial period with the British introducing academic Victorian style art to the school curriculum and in the art scene in general. Artist ACGS Amarasekara was a pre-eminent exponent of this trend. However, it was CF Windsor who was the first school inspector of art, who insisted the need for the organic growth of art practice with the fusion of tradition and new western trends. He was instrumental in the creation of the ’43 Group which later went to become one of the leading art groups in Asia at that time. Among the notable members of the Group were George Keyt , Justin Deraniyagala, Ivan Pieris, George Claessen, Richard Gabriel, and a few others. The ‘43 Group represented the anti-colonial art struggle that was wielding power in the socio political context of the Indian Subcontinent, then. The Group showed inclination towards a mix of tradition and influence of the Ecole de Paris, moving away from the academic Victorian style favoured by the colonial masters.
The ‘43 Group members showed a diverse influence in their art practice. Justin Dereniyagala, Harry Pieris,George Classon and to some extent Ivan Pieris show the influence of Parisian modernism in their practice. Whereas, Gabriel inclined towards tradition and George Keyt showed Indian influence namely of Rajpup paintings, especially, in his Nayaka series paintings (after his return from India). They steadily steered Sri Lankan art scene into a new era.
Sri Lankan modern art was mostly a figurative style until the ‘60s. The subject matter dealt by the ’43 Group was similar to that of their predecessors – landscapes, portraits and village scenery. This situation changed in the 1960s with the practice of some members such as, George Classon, adopting the non-figurative tradition of painting which started to gain a foothold in the Lankan art scene.
This change was enhanced with the emergence of H.A. Karunaratne, an influential artist with skills acquired from New York. HAK works defined the place of spirituality in Sri Lankan modern art. This trend had great appeal among the people and the new generation of art students who were conditioned by the Buddhist philosophy. Karunaratne’s art practice had great relevance to the Sri Lankan context in terms of its spiritual inclination, and remained insular despite the increasing anxiety and stress that was gradually engulfing Lankan social life.
Karunaratne’s formal academic art education began at the Govt. College of Fine Arts. He was trained under eminent artists, J D A Perera, David Paynter and Stanley Abeysinghe.
He had a short spell of art training in New York and Tokyo in the 1960s. He was a lecturer in painting at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies(IAS) of the University of Kelaniya where he was a major influence on generations of young artists with ideas of abstraction and abstract expressionism. This was the only art institution that offered a degree level education in Sri Lanka for generations of young artists.
HAK remains a prolific artist even at his advanced age. His art mainly involves painting and sculpture. In his sculptures he uses a variety of media. He is best known for his abstract expressionist paintings. His art works have been exhibited locally and internationally, and are in the collection of leading art museums and galleries world over.
In the linear narrative of Sri Lankan art history, we could locate HA Karunaratnen as a major turning point. Though there have been several books on the ‘43 Group and its members, HA Karunaratne has remained a somewhat neglected artist in the history of Sri Lankan art. The new book H A Karunaratne, written by Anoli Perera and published by Taprobane Collection is a timely venture to enrich and give due place to the artist.
The book will be launched on June 21, at the Olympus, BMICH. An exhibition of art works by HAK, to mark the book launch will be held on June 28, at 6 pm at “Red Dot” gallery, Theertha International Artists Collective, Borella,
- Godwin Constantine
Pics: Taprobane Art Collection