Financial Times

Sidewalk artist aims high
Raja Kudaliyanage is a familiar sight on the bustling sidewalk outside the Majestic City, bent over as he concentrates on drawing greeting cards and sketches in quick, economical strokes.

Demand for his attractive but inexpensive works has grown and Raja, as he is known, has big plans to do bigger creations and sell them in more up-market establishments. He sells about 50 cards each day, all drawn with colour ink using a technique he developed himself.

"I've practiced this for about 15 years," he explained. "I don't use brushes. My creations are sold fast as my rates are reasonable." It takes him less than five minutes to draw a card. He charges about Rs. 20 a card so that everybody can afford to buy his work.

His present income is adequate but he plans to improve the standards of his work, package them properly, perhaps employ others and sell cards and bigger pictures in more fashionable outlets. He used to sell his work in hotels but gave up after tourism slumped in the 1980s. Previously, Raja had worked in a batik shop.

He also does special orders, especially for bigger works such as wall hangings.
"Many people commission orders and specify their own colour combinations," Raja said. He sells a 3' x 2' work for around Rs. 750.

He also does black and white line drawings. "All my work is original," Raja said. "I learnt my skills in a batik workshop, sometimes doing table cloths and selling them to tourists on the Mount Lavinia beach." Pix by J. Weerasekera

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