Internationally acclaimed artist Chandraguptha Thenuwara on the reasons he has had exhibitions each year in July for nearly 3 decades.
Every year, internationally acclaimed artist Chandraguptha Thenuwara has a commemoration of an era that Sri Lankans prefer to forget, but, is an era that must be remembered in order to ensure that it is never repeated. The Tamil pogrom of 1983 and the fallout thereafter have seen wounds that have never healed. Forty years on, the ensuing sociopolitical climate, Sinhalese chauvinism, narrow-minded nationalism, militarism, religious extremism, socialism, and anti-West sentiment embrace us, and that is what Thenuwara explores.
Thenuwara has always stood out from the crowd, with his anti-war sentiment driving his art during an era when others were keen on taking up arms and attacking the enemy. After 2005, his exhibitions were constantly monitored by the authorities, but he boldly soldiered on. Thenuwara literally fought for his freedom with his creativity.
Each year, he pulls the complex social turbulences surrounding his country into his works and each year, it becomes an eye-opener. This year (2023), he showcases thought-provoking new works in three simultaneous exhibitions: Covert, Delusion, and Fragile, at the Saskia Fernando Gallery, the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, and the J.D.A. Perera Gallery. Each of these exhibits are emotive. Thenuwara was on Kaleidoscope this week, speaking on the reasons for this continued commitment to highlighting issues that surround Sri Lankans, most of which remain deep-rooted, like wounds that refuse to heal.
