JOIN USWith the forest trees cut,/ the lake lies naked and lost/ in the bare hills.
— A haiku poem by Richard Wright.
A child prodigy, Senaka Senanayake reportedly created large paintings on his own when he was just six. Before he entered his teens, he already had solo shows not only in the city of his birth, Colombo, but also in New York and other places.
Today, with more than 100 solo shows across the world under his belt, the 65-year-old is a pre-eminent artist of Sri Lanka. His paintings can be seen hanging, among others, at the UN building in New York; the White House in Washington DC; the National Panasonic Headquarters, Osaka; and the Berlin State Museum. His art has received glowing reviews from critics like Sir Herbert Read (who called Senaka, ‘an amazing case of artistic precocity’); and renowned personalities like Sir Arthur C Clarke (who wrote the foreword for a book on the artist).
In recent decades, Senaka has engaged himself in highlighting the vibrancy of the Sri Lankan rainforest. With an array of colourful foliage patterns and playful bird-animal-insect forms, his part-real and part-dreamlike imagery presents slices of a gorgeous natural world, while calling for its protection and preservation.
On the eve of his solo exhibit in Bengaluru, Senaka outlines the trajectory of his artistic life. Here are excerpts from a free-wheeling interaction:
On his childhood
My father worked for a company that produced movies and also imported/distributed Indian and English films. My mother was a good amateur artist and a keen student of classical English literature. My parents were keen that I had a normal childhood. I was never made to feel special (although I made my name early in life), which meant I had a normal school experience. I was an enthusiastic sportsman and captained my junior school cricket team. So, I had no pressure whatsoever (as a child prodigy) with my parents sheltering me from all the publicity and fame.
On his formal training in arts at Yale University, USA
Yale was one of my most memorable experiences, as it was the first time I had a formal training in art. I also got a wonderful opportunity to interact and work with other artists. My fellow students were interested in my subject matter as it was inspired by my Sri Lankan experiences. The teachers that I got close to were colourists. Yale was the home of Joseph Albers (1886-1976), one of the world’s greatest colourists. My art professors followed his theories of colour interaction.
On being bitten by the environmental ‘bug’
I was exposed to the environmental crisis about 20 years ago when my cousin, an environmentalist living and working in South America, visited me in Sri Lanka and took me on a field trip to the rainforests in the hill country. He told me that we had lost 70% of our rainforests in Sri Lanka; and the main culprits were the British who cut down the forests to plant tea estates.
They always left a small patch of forest on top of every estate, as it was needed to induce rain. Without the rainforests, we will not have rain and being an island it would be disastrous. This prompted me to try and bring awareness about the crisis. As I was not a politician or a businessman, and my only skill was interpretation of situations, I decided to use my expertise to highlight the issue to the public. I thought the best way to go about it was to portray the beautiful fauna and flora of the rainforest. I felt it would attract the attention of the young and motivate them to do something to protect it.
On his art practice
I have been painting for 59 years and have no idea how many works of art I have created over the years. On a typical day, I work for about three to four hours in the morning, and about four hours in the afternoon and evening. As a Buddhist, I believe that there is no beginning or end but life goes on forever unless one achieves nirvana. I try to portray this by encompassing the circle in all my paintings. I also believe that I am doing some of my best work at the moment; and my series on the rainforest is my best.
On the violent ethnic protests in Sri Lanka
I have done a few pieces (on the subject) in the early days of the crisis. I am more interested in the global crisis which affects all mankind rather than political issues in a particular country.
On the art scene in Sri Lanka
The art scene in Sri Lanka is limited, as we do not have a big art clientele; there is also no support from the state. The local artists barely make a living with their work.
Advice to young artists
A career in art is a long and lonely road with no short-cuts to success. You should have a dream and work towards achieving it. I am a firm believer in the traditional way of studying the basics. I think it is great being a self-taught artist, but formal training will be like a catalyst and help you to move faster. I am always available to young artists and prepared to share my experience and guide them.
On the ups and downs of art market
The art market works in two tiers — the investment market; and the popular market where people collect artworks for the sheer pleasure of collecting. As an artist, I would prefer someone buying my work just for the love for it.
Best and worst critics of his art
My best critic has always been my wife Jennifer, my partner for 40 years. My worst critics have been my grandchildren!
Senanayake’s exhibition of paintings, ‘Homage to the Rainforest’, will be on view till August 27 at Gallery Sumukha, Bengaluru.