Santiphap Inkong-Ngam (Thailand)

Jamal Shah (Pakistan)

Jagath Weerasinghe (Sri Lanka)

By Anoli Perera
Among many other activities of culture, especially with regard to the visual arts, yet another international artists’ workshop is on. It has been appropriately named ‘Theertha’ meaning ‘bank of a flowing ever’ and in this case, meant to be a ‘moment of contemplation’ in a long cultural journey.

The primary objective of the Theertha International Artists Workshop is to explore and exchange ideas across ethnic, regional and artistic borders which are evoked in the meanings of ‘theertha’ in the context of contemporary critical art practice in Sri Lanka. Its focus is towards an empowerment of third world artists and their multicultural bonding outside an Euro American bias. A spirit of fostering respect for cultural, linguistic, geopolitical, sexual and racial difference is the philosophical core of Theertha.

During the last ten years, a groundswell of critically engaging art practice has taken place in Sri Lanka Much of this activity has been artist led and has borne witness to a broadening of visual presentations outside the gallery space and into the wider communal space of the everyday. During the course of this process a number" of prominent Sri Lankan artists have also participated in international events and exhibitions. However, at present there seems to be a need to introduce new aspects into Sri Lankan art production. Interaction between various art forms as well as exchange of art knowledge between different ethnic communities is yet to occur. As such, there is a need to create an atmosphere of interface for this interaction to take place.

At the same time one of the main objectives of Theertha is to provide an opportunity for ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ art forms to interface on one platform. Although the legacy of the colonial period can be credited with the introduction of many influential art forms, there is a growing acknowledgment that these older traditional art forms have been marginalized as part of this process. The Theertha Workshop will seek to readdress the question of how ‘traditional’ art practices can be assimilated into ‘contemporary’ critical art practice.

Theertha International Artists’ Workshop is organized by artists for artists. It is facilitated by a group of 11 artists, some of whom are well known personalities in the visual arts. The members of this group are Jagath Weerasinghe, Chandragupta Thenuwara, G. R. Constantine, Dominic Sansoni, Sarath Kumarsiri, Pradeep Chandrasiri, T. G. Amerajeeva, Bandu Manamperi, Pushpakumara Korelegedara, Nelun Harasgama and Anoli Perera.

Theertha is affiliated with an international network of artists workshops that was initiated in 1982 by Anthony Caro, sculptor, and Robert Loder, a collector, by holding the Triangle Workshop in New York State, USA. This project inspired similar workshops, which have been set up by artists in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Senegal, UK, Jamaica, India and Pakistan.

The first Theertha workshop is scheduled to be held from the 3rd to the 16th of September 2001, and the venue is the Lunuganga Estate of architect Georffry Bawa located at the edge of Lunuganga and is surrounded by lush trees, ponds and sprawling multi level gardens.

There will be 12 Sri Lankan and international artists participating in the Theertha Workshop. The international. participants includes artists Lee Wen (Singapore), Tripura Kasbyap (India), Jamal Shah (Pakistan) and Santiphap Inkong-ngam (Thailand). From Sri Lanka, Jagath Weerasinghe, Ravibandu Vidyapathi, Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Bandu Manamperi, Anoli Perera, G. R. Constantine, Pradeep Chandasiri and S. Jayashankar will take part in the workshop. These twelve artists will be living and working at the Lunuganga Estate for 14 days and they will be joined by two traditional ritual performance groups, one from Batticaloa and other from Bentota for short periods of time to work with the workshop artists. The workshop structure includes engaging in collaborative work, performances, slide presentations and discussions.

The workshop activities include an outreach program where opportunities are presented for artists and the public to interact A Critical Dialogue Day will be held on 15th September where artists, art students and other interested individuals are invited to Lunuganga to view the works done during the workshop. The audience is given the opportunity to engage in critical discussions with the artists about their work. An Open Day will be held at the Barefoot Gallery on 18th September where works produced in workshop will be presented.

The workshop is facilitated by a the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development in the Netherlands. It is also supported by local sponsorships given by Lunuganga Trust, Barefoot Gallery, Richard Peiris and Co., National Savings Bank, International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Colombo, Novelty Art Suppliers (Pvt.) Ltd., and the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts.