The poetry of art

The poet’s pen and the artist’s brush are guided by similar forces. The need to capture a moment in time or to explore the deep recesses of the mind could be the primary preoccupations of both artist and poet. Certainly, there are also instances when these intentions fuse and inform each other.

At a recently concluded exhibition of paintings by artists Noeline Fernando and Sampath Amunugama, I was overtaken by the creations before me. The paintings were brilliantly curated, the dark contrasted with the vibrant and the abstract with the concrete. I visited the Barefoot Gallery towards the tail end of the exhibition to meditate on the poetry they wove.

There is something very intriguing about a painting that is ‘untitled’ - it’s an invitation to freely interpret. A majority of Sampath Amunugama’s paintings were untitled and interestingly so. When observing his work I could imagine the fluid movement of his brush, musings in primarily black and white. When considered collectively, Amunugama’s paintings shared many similarities. Splotches of black paint, tiny plant-like elements and most importantly the human form, dissected. It seemed as though he was exploring a familiar terrain – the landscape of the mind. I enjoyed studying Amunugama’s paintings as they reminded me of a collection of deeply personal poems.

In stark contrast, Noeline Fernando’s paintings were an exploration of colour and life. They captured social settings that were laced with emotions. From the North to the South of Sri Lanka, Fernando’s paintings traversed, as the artist captured her perspective on a social setting or situation. Grief and dislocation were frozen in time on her canvases.

Fernando mentions that her travels with her children, Manik and Dilsiri Welikala often inspire her work. ‘Ambalangoda’, immediately captured my interest. A city that is well-known for its rich dramatic tradition and mask-making was captured in the most imaginative way possible. The canvas in my memory was somewhat like a patchwork of colour, primarily in tones of yellow, red and green. I couldn’t imagine a better way to express the allure of the city.

Where opposites are embraced and contrasts are celebrated, art thrives. The exhibition by Fernando and Amunugama was proof of this statement. It was a remarkable convergence and a reminder of the poetry of art.