ATELIER KANDY HOSTS EXHIBITION OF SCULPTURE & PAINTINGS
Asela Abeywardene’s current exhibition of painting and sculpture, Shapes, Shades and Signs is an outcome of a self-exploratory journey. She aligns her efforts to Eastern philosophical views on the integration of visual arts and poetry. “Usually, when I paint or sculpt, words are swimming around my head. Sometimes these words emerge before the artwork does and sometimes afterwards. Whether these words could be called poetry or not, I do not know. But I write them down. So I feel there must be some sort of a connection between diverse art forms,” she explains. The opening reception was held recently at Atelier Kandy amidst a gathering of art loving community, with poetry readings by Asela Abeywardene and Krisantha Sri Bhaggiyadatta. The event provided a unique opportunity for the audience to engage in discussion between an artist and a poet. The highlight of the event was the reading of Lakdasa Wickramasinha’s poem, Don’t Talk to Me about Matisse, and a Sinhala version by Dileepa Abeysekera. Renowned author Sunethra Rajakarunanayake was the guest of honour. “I was so happy that someone like Sunethra Rajakarunanayake could grace this occasion: not because she is a wellknown literary figure in this country, but because she too is someone who paints and understands the relationship between the written word and visual arts.” The exhibition Shapes, Shades and Signs continues till June 2019 at Atelier Kandy, Siebel Place Circular Rd, Kandy. Asela’s art and poetry: https://aselatoasela. wordpress.com