The Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the National Crafts Council of Sri Lanka, organized an exhibition of a modest collection of replicas of ancient rock and wall paintings of Sri Lanka.
The exhibition was inaugurated on 2 December at the ICCR Gallery in New Delhi by Director General of ICCR, Suresh Goel in the presence of Minister of Indigenous Medicine Salinda Dissanayake, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Prasad Kariyawasam and members of the diplomatic corps.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of ICCR stated that the hosting of the exhibition in New Delhi portraying the rich heritage of Sri Lankan rock and wall paintings is a manifestation of the friendship that continues to flourish between the two countries.
High Commissioner Kariyawasam gave a brief description of Sri Lanka’s wall painting heritage dating back two thousand years which still continues. Stating that Sri Lankan classical art is an expression of the country’s long and enduring Buddhist tradition, the High Commissioner said that the Indian influence on Sri Lankan art, although significant, has not inhibited the formation of a distinctly Sri Lankan tradition in all forms of art as well as sculpture.
The replicas produced by three Sri Lankan artists, Jagath Jayasooriya, Dilan Sashika and Dhammika Bandara will be on exhibition at the ICCR Gallery at Azad Bhavan until 7 December.
Full text of High Commissioner's Speech:
Sri Lanka’s wall painting heritage dating from over two thousand years ago which continues today, offers a vivid and colorful aesthetic experience displaying the changes in the moods and the modes of visual communication of a diverse society in a chrono-cultural context.
Sri Lankan classical art is indeed an expression of the country’s long and enduring Buddhist tradition (Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka during the time of Emperor Asoka). This tradition absorbed and internalized regional and local traditions for thousands of years. The Indian influence on Sri Lankan art, although significant, has not inhibited the formation of a distinctly Sri Lankan tradition in all forms of art as well as sculpture.
The history of Sri Lankan painting and sculpture dates as far back as the 2nd or 3rd Century BC. The ancient chronicles contain descriptions of various examples of paintings in the relic-chambers of Buddhist stupas and ancient buildings such as monastic residences. Fragmentary remains of early wall paintings have been recorded from various archaeological sites. The Mahavamsa – the ancient Sri Lankan historical record of over 2500 years of history, refers to descriptions of sculptures and carvings in ancient buildings in the ancient city of Anuradhapura which was the first Kingdom of the country.
Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the South and South-east Asian region that can claim an unbroken tradition of wall painting, which is older than two thousand years and continues to the present day.
Wall painting sites are found in high concentration in the central highlands surrounding Kandy, the last Kingdom prior to colonial rule, and in the western and southern maritime provinces. Fragmentary remains are found in and around the two ancient capital cities, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruva.
This exhibition of replicas of some selected wall paintings, executed by three talented artists, presents a vivid view of our rich pictorial heritage. You can experience the aesthetics of the stunningly brilliant heritage of wall paintings of Sri Lanka in these amazingly truthful replicas as you would view them in the originals in a monastic site in our resplendent island.
Sri Lanka High Commission
New Delhi
