Presidential Award winning artiste Mangala Madanayake’s 29th one-man Ballpoint coloured art exhibition, “Wondrous Paintings” will be held at the Public Library, Colombo on July 12, 13 and 14.
In 1984, during his school days, Mangala started using Ballpoint pens in his artworks. Now, it has been nearly 40 years since he started using Ballpoint pens. By using the shades of Black pen, he held several one-man Art exhibitions at the National Art Gallery and at the Museum in Galle from 1984 to 1994.
In 1994, Mangala held an art exhibition at Museum in Galle, which included paintings done using black, blue, green and red coloured ballpoint pens.
He has conducted 28 one-man art exhibitions at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Laksala Colombo, J.D.A Perera Art Gallery and at other Art Galleries.
According to Mangala, there is no difference between the paintings done with paint and the paintings done by using ballpoint pens which are a combination of millions of lines. He has proven that there is a capability of drawing on paper and on canvas using coloured ballpoint pens.
Mangala has written a book titled “Ballpoint Varna Chithra Kalawa – I Bhoomi dharshana Adeema” including about 40 years experience of using ballpoint pens which underwent several stages of development from black pens to coloured ballpoint paintings. He has included everything he knows about mastering the ballpoint art technique. Anyone who is young or elderly can learn how to master the technique of ballpoint pen step by step using the book. The book includes figures and detailed instructions one needs to master in creating coloured ballpoint pen paintings.
His dream is to spread widely the technique of ballpoint pen art across the country and to make this technique to be included in the school curriculum for art subjects.
