'Sketchbook' to celebrate 100th birth anniversary of Geoff Beling

For generations in Sri Lanka the name Beling and art have been closely linked. This year marks the centenary of Geoffrey Beling who was born on September 22, 1907 and was one of the founder members of the renowned '43 Group. Celebrating this, "Sketchbook", an exhibition of Geoffrey Beling's paintings organized by his family, will be held from the March 12- 15 2008 at the Sapumal Foundation, 32/4 Barnes Place, Colombo07.

Beling was an unusual artist in that to him art was not restricted to his own personal work on a canvas. He wanted others to benefit from art. This is borne out in his immeasurable contribution to this country in the field of child art.

He abandoned his own brush to encourage child art in Sri Lanka and has travelled the length and breadth of this country in pursuit of this as Chief Inspector of Art. Beling, whose paintings bear the marks of a sincere, unadulterated and unique style, recognized this quality in child art and encouraged children to express themselves through art.

Some of the paintings in the exhibition have never been viewed by the public before and it will be looked forward to with much interest by art lovers of this country.