Rarely seen Ivan Peries work on exhibition in Kandy
Lovers of Sri Lankan art are in for a treat as the work of a renowned member of the 43 Group, Ivan Peries is currently being exhibited at the Alliance Française de Kandy. The exhibition will run until June 26. Courtesy of Shamil Peiris and the Taprobane Collection, it features some of the artist’s early work from the 1940s-60s — rarely seen before by the public.
Led by photographer Lionel Wendt, the 43 Group was a collective of artists that included Harry Pieris, Aubrey Collette, Richard Gabriel, George Keyt, Justin Daraniyagala, Ivan Peries, Geoffrey Beling, L. T. P. Manjusri and George Claessen.
The 43 Group was known for breaking away from the traditional art styles of the 1930s and 40s, which were more focused on trueto-life depictions of figures or landscapes, similar to photography. In this process, they faced rejection and criticism.
However, joining together gave them strength, and some among them gained recognition internationally when the Group exhibited in London and Paris. Today, they are regarded as the masters who brought Sri Lankan contemporary art into the limelight, a movement that younger artists are still taking forward. “The 43 Group to which Ivan Peries belonged is definitely the watershed point in development of Sri
Lankan art,” Shamil explains.
The special aspect of Ivan Peries is that he is the balance between figurative and abstract art. Shamil remarks that while his early works are figurative, towards the 70s and 80s they are more semiabstract. Peries’s work increasingly grew together with his vision of the Sri Lankan landscape and his mature work exhibits a fine control of emotions and technique.
Ivan Peries first began drawing lessons in Colombo under David Paynter in the early 1940s. He then began learning under Harry Pieris, a master in the field. In 1946 he won a scholarship from St. John’s Wood School of Art, London. The knowledge he gained there led him to the technique of tempera, which he worked with quite extensively.
His paintings are in many notable collections around the world, which includes the Petit Palais in Paris, the Martin Russell collection, London, Pembroke College, Oxford, Leicester Education Authority, Leicester and the War Memorial Museum, London and the Sapumal Foundation, Colombo,
Aside from this, he also participated in many other exhibitions apart from his solo ones, such as at the AIA Gallery, London (1954); Heffer Gallery, Cambridge (1954); the XXVII Venice Biennale (1956) etc.
Ivan Peiris’s works that are exhibited include, The Beloved, Homage to El Greco, Ukkussa (Eagle) and Seated Bull. His earlier works show a clear variety of style as Ivan depicted figures and landscapes through tempera and oil on board, canvas and the rare paper collages.
Nearly 40 years ago, Shamil Peiris bought his first contemporary painting -a painting by George Keyt, perhaps the most famous member of the 43 Group. He has been a collector of contemporary art ever since. His acquisitions form The Taprobane Collection.
Shamil enjoys sharing his collection with like-minded people. Together with Alliance Française de Kandy, The Taprobane Collection has previously held a series of exhibitions. These include solo exhibitions of the work of H.A. Karunaratne and Richard Gabriel, as well as Neville Weereratne who exhibited with the 43 Group back in the day.