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behind the face in the hall of fame This much-talked of portrait was painted by a young father of two, living far away from the hustle and bustle of Colombo, content to eke out a living by doing what he loves best. In the calm environs of Pasyala, we met Mohan Senadheera, the little known artist behind the now famous painting. Mohan used to be one of the artists near the Art Gallery Colombo, displaying their paintings to all passers-by on the busy roads around the Viharamaha Devi Park. He got this break, which he considers a "once in a lifetime opportunity," thanks to his brother-in-law Anura Senanayake who is known to the famous artist Senaka Senanayake. In earlier days he would walk around with an album filled with photos of his work, which he would adjust or recreate according to the wishes of his customers. Now, however, Mohan takes orders from householders and hoteliers. Recounting his beginnings as an artist on the streets as it were, Mohan says life is indeed tough for the talented yet poor painters who don't have avenues to sell their creations. "There is a lot of competition- most of us who have never got a chance to put our work in proper galleries suffer. Our paintings are sold at much cheaper rates-sometimes, just enough to cover the cost of material and time put in. I would never have chosen to sell my paintings if I had any other job," says Mohan, wistfully. Son of Senadhi Rupasinghe, a former actor known for his roles in movies starring the great Gamini Fonseka, Mohan reminisces that the family's situation would be quite different if their father was alive. "My father's great friends were Joe Abeywickrema and Henry Jayasena, but he died in the 1970s when we were quite young. I'm sure our life would have been different if he was alive," says Mohan, adding that he is the only one from his family to show a talent of this nature. A student of Bandaranayake Vidyalaya, Gampaha, Mohan studied in the Arts stream for his Advanced Level and then did a course taught by Joe Dambulugala. Following the closure of Kabool Lanka, where he worked as a textile designer, Mohan had to turn his beloved hobby into a money-spinner to keep the home fires burning. Mohan's two sons aged 4 ½ and 2 ½ years seem to have their father's talent by the looks of it. His workshop, filled with thought provoking art work from nudes to copies to an absolutely captivating painting of a young samanera monk who has seen the light of the Buddha ('budun dekima'), is also covered with kids' doodles which he lovingly refers to as 'kurutu gee'. He states that nothing much has changed in his life, since he "is not famous yet." Speaking of those who had helped him begin his journey out from near obscurity, Mohan says he is deeply indebted to Mr. and Mrs. Kadirgamar, Senaka Senanayake and his brother-in-law Anura Senanayake for their unstinted support. Speaking of his now well-known portrait of the Foreign Minister, Mohan reveals that this is only his second portrait-the first was of one of his relatives who happened to be a nilame of the Naatha Devale. "I was asked whether I can do portraits in the European style and I said I could and was willing to give it a try. I was given specific instructions to follow the photograph that I was given. I also met the Foreign Minister before I began painting. He and his wife were both very friendly. "I have decided to do another painting to thank the Kadirgamars for giving me this exposure," says Mohan adding that he will hold his first exhibition hopefully within the year. |
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