H.A. Karunaratne’s solo exhibition ‘Water of Life’ is being held at the PRSFG, marking his first presentation in a gallery. It ends on March 31.
Karunaratne is widely considered the father of abstract art in Sri Lanka. Karunaratne exhibits masterful dexterity in exploring the interplay between diverse materials —ranging from fabric to metal — to evoke a sense of rhythm, energy, and dissonance. Karunaratne’s distinctive artistic approach bears resemblance to American Abstract Expressionism and is deeply influenced by Buddhist and Zen philosophies.
With a career spanning over six decades, Karunaratne is a distinguished artist and pedagogue renowned for his profound impact on abstract expressionism within the country’s art institutions. His contribution to art has been recognized in Sri Lanka and internationally. He has been honoured with the ‘Kala Suri’ by the Government of Sri Lanka and ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays’ by the Japanese government.
Karunaratne’s is an intuitive, instinctual, and embodied process; one where the egoic mind is stilled, and the autonomy of the activity takes over. – Jyoti Dhar
