A doc with a pen

By Esther Williams

A doctor and artist! Who would have thought that combination was possible? Dr. Kamal A. Perera is that and believes he has a calling for both those genres. His exhibition entitled ‘Rhythm of Lines’ of Ballpoint Art to be held at the Lionel Wendt Gallery on July 1 and 2 are his experiments with this new medium.

On first glance the pictures appear to be oil paintings – such is the vibrancy of their colours. On closer inspection one can see the lines, expertly finished using different shading techniques for each picture.

Among them are figurative, abstracts, wildlife and nature, landscapes and portraits. “I take photographs of what interests me or use pictures of animals or birds and then create my own background,” he explains.

A former student of Mahinda College, Galle, Dr. Perera since his school days worked with pastels and water colours. He received no professional training but continued to pursue his interest when he went on to the Medical Faculty, Ruhuna University, Galle.

After completing his internship at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital and National Hospital, Dr. Perera is currently working as a Medical Officer at Nawalapitiya.

The exhibition is open to the public from 10.30 am to 8 p.m. on July 1 and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 2.