In early March Mandalika Manjusri’s Solo Exhibition was inaugurated at the Levant Art Gallery bringing together of art lovers, diplomats, medial and cultural personalities, travel and tourism trade representatives, among others.
Mandalika Manjusri is the daughter of one of Sri Lanka’s foremost artists of the 20th century, the late Dr. L.T.P Manjusri (1902-1982).
The exhibition included both line drawings reproduction of Dodanduwa Temple (17th to 18th century) as well as her original paintings which can be described as ephemeral, spiritual, and minimalist, but based on the real. In her landscapes, people, trees, and houses become symbols with a distinct mythology that evolve into two-dimensional pictograms. Objects and images are absorbed through minimalization, leaving out trappings and details, while imparting a feeling of tranquility and gentleness. Working with water colors in pastel shades, powder blues, canary yellows, and vivid pinks, she experiments freely with transparent layers, achieving results that are unique to Sri Lankan avant-garde painting.
In New York, she has been invited to show her paintings at the prestigious Columbia University, Yale University and at the United Nations in New York.
Mandalika made a powerpoint presentation on development of modern art movement in Sri Lanka starting from the “Group of 1943” artists, of which late Dr. L. T. P. Manjusri, her father, was a founding member together with the likes of George Keyt, Justin Deraniyagala, Richard Gabriel, W.J. Beling, Ivan Peries, George Claessen and Aubrey Collette.
After the exhibition at the Levant for 5 days the exhibition was moved to Hangzhou for 4 days. In Hangzhou it was held at the Sri Lanka Center in Hangzhou. Senior officials of Zhejiang and Hangzhou government and artists, cultural and media personalities were among the invitees at the inauguration in Hangzhou.
The exhibitions were also utilized to show case Sri Lanka’s tourism potential for Chinese. Sri Lankan snacks and tea complimented the event.
Both exhibitions were organized by Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Shanghai together with the Levant Art and Sri Lankan Center in Hangzhou.
The exhibitions received appreciation and wide coverage in the local media.
Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Shanghai
14th March 2013
