Art manifests itself vibrantly in various forms. The artist refreshes our mind by captivating paintings. I met up with such a talented lady last week. Kekuli Unamboowe is a name synonymous with art in Sri Lanka. Kekuli, in spite of her many artistic achievements remains a humble and down to earth personality.
Born in Kandy, she studied at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo. She pointed out that at school she did not focus much on drawing, which was mildly surprising. She married Kapil Abeyratne the Mayor of Ratnapura when she was 21 years. It was years later that Kekuli’s younger daughter Iranjali, recognized her beloved mother’s prowess with the brush and gently encouraged her mother to draw. The dormant talent that was in Kekuli gradually exploded beautifully on the canvas to the delight of her family and friends. She would soon go on to have many exhibitions.
Line drawings are her area of specialization. This kind of drawing is a unique art form, as she uses a special pen that contains acrylic oil. I asked Kekuli what inspires her to draw and she replied that life has many positive moments which encourage her.
In the recent past she boldly ventured into painting on platinum plated ceramic. Her excellent designs soon attracted famous Japanese designer Yomamoto, who visited one of her exhibitions held in Tokyo in April this year. He was very impressed. Kekuli is a woman with aspiration. She intends to do fabric painting in a whole new dimension. Looking at her many paintings one can see a nice balance of contrast and colour.
Kekuli is an artist who appreciates life. She points out that at times living in the busy city her hours of painting are similar to meditation where she finds joy and solace. Artists such as Kekuli Unamboowe continue to uphold the painting traditions of our motherland and have sustained art in an era where digital images have begun to mildly dominate.