Join Geetha on her artistic odyssey
Geetha Senewiratne’s artistic journey began as a teenager under her guru Mudaliyar A.C.G.S. Amarasekara, the celebrated Sri Lankan painter, where she learned to draw a “perfect human body.” Stacked in her home are serene paintings of village scenes – women holding flowers, intricately placed figurines in rural environments, simple day-to-day activities, religious deities and natural vistas. Geetha’s work is well infused with connections to Sri Lanka’s rich, natural and cultural heritage.
In school Geetha took part in and won several competitions. She became a professional artist in her 20s, holding her first solo exhibition in 1973 at the Samudra Gallery, in Sri Lanka.
As art instructor at Highland College in Nugegoda she also worked as an interior designer for several hotels in Colombo and participated in group exhibitions in Japan, Bulgaria and New Delhi, India. “I am in the company of my paintings,” says Geetha, adding that she begins painting in the morning and continues past midnight, often losing track of time.
“I work very easily with oil,” says Geetha, who primarily works with the medium and has experimented with pottery and sculpture as well.
Geetha Senewiratne and above, one of her paintings. Pix by Eshan Fernando
Beginning her journey in sculpting after school, Geetha received a presidential award in 1983 for her sculpture, “Dushkarakriya,” at the 79th Annual Exhibition of Ceylon Society of Arts. Harking back to a painting she worked on in the 1970s, she still considers it her finest creation, refusing to part with it or sell it – even turning down an offer by the American Embassy.
Her friend, Sybil Wettasinghe would urge her to continue holding annual exhibitions, which still inspires Geetha to keep going. Eva Ranaweera, a journalist, who Geetha worked alongside, who was a part of the Voice of Women, had said, “trust yourself to be a professional artist,” which motivated Geetha to continue her artistic journey further.
Reminiscing about past exhibitions, pulling out old albums filled with newspaper clippings, reviews of her work and boxes with heaps of photographs, Geetha says that one must be happy, live humbly, simply and paint not just for money but pure enjoyment.
“Talented people out there need a space to exhibit their work,” she adds pointing out that securing a hall or exhibition space is expensive, making it difficult for most people.
“If you have any talent within you, recognise it and bring it out. Otherwise, your life will be dull,” says Geetha.
Geetha’s 12th exhibition, “Art Odyssey,” hosted and sponsored by the Siam Nivasa, will be held from November 25 – December 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m, showcasing 60 paintings, line drawings, and her award winning sculpture.
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