Mesmerising paintings captivate our eyes and reveal the brilliance of the artist. Chathuranga Senarath is such a talented artist who has captivated our hearts through his paintings. Born on July 24, 1995 in Galenbindunuwewa, Chathuranga Senarath had his education at Padikaramaduwa College.
He completed his A/L's in the arts stream. Chathuranga who has won awards at school competitions has made a name for himself as a talented artist, proving his inborn skills. He has distinguished himself as one of the best painters even at the university by painting portraits of his university lecturers. The Sunday Observer caught up with Chathuranga to discuss his journey.
Education
Chathuranga holds a degree in the Business and academic Chinese from the University of Kelaniya. He had not followed courses at institutes to study art. "We cannot become artists only by following courses at institutes. We have to improve our inborn skills and talents by observing different styles of other artists. Not that we are going to imitate them, but we have to learn something new from everyone. Art is a vast subject. Many styles and many artists emerge every day," he said.
Chathuranga has conducted a comparative study on the Buddhist concepts embedded in frescoes of the Kelaniya Rajamaha vihara and the Fa-hai Temple in Beijing to explore the differences of frescoes. The research study has revealed many facts including the techniques of manufacturing natural colours, combination of colours, symbols and meanings of frescoes in both temples.
Current situation
In the country, we can see talented artists without a canvas. It is evident that most artists cannot find opportunities to showcase their talents to the world.
True that only a fistful of artists have become fortunate to gain such rare opportunities, with the support of those who are in power. However, we cannot expect that all other artists can make the use of such opportunities.
Those who are in power should take up such issues for parliamentary debates without cursing the darkness. In addition to this, our talented youths have to undergo many hardships in holding an exhibition. As a result, artists tend to get discouraged and fly in search of greener pastures.
That is why "Brain drain" has become a topic in our country. "I focus on the quality of my paintings. That is my first priority. But sadly many people don't value our creations. Even the talented artists have been reluctant to enter the field. Now, it is evident that there is a collapse in art." Chathuranga said.
Turning point
According to the veteran artiste, Premakeerthi De Alwis, "Mother is the source of love." Suffice to say that mother paints our lives throughout the journey from the cradle to the grave. When asked about the turning point in Chathuranga's life, he said, "I painted a portrait of my mother on her birthday day. It was the beginning of my career as an artist."
Message
Chathuranga has found his niche in art. His message will pave the way for many upcoming artists to enter the world of art. "We cannot become artists overnight.
We have to observe many artists and many styles to broaden our capacity. Bide your time until you achieve your goal," he said. In our country, there are talented youth who can brighten the future of our country. Questions arise as to whether there are opportunities for them.