The Buddha statue Rajakaruna sculptured and is now on exhibit at the museeum

Wijesena Rajakaruna, his sons Kelum and Vikum, with an official outside the museum

By Neminda Samarajeewa
It was a dream come true for Wijesena Rajakaruna, a famous southern artist, sculptor and craftsman when he was invited to the opening of the famous Kunst-Palast museum in Dusseldorf, Germany.

When he arrived there with his two sons, Kelum and Vikum, his joy knew no bounds as he was given the opportunity to sculptor a Buddha statue and do some paintings to be exhibited at this museum. It was a great honour not only to Rajakaruna, a man of humble beginnings, but also to his motherland Sri Lanka.

Artists from nearly 55 countries participated in the opening ceremony and exhibited their creations. Rajakaruna and his two sons who are also artists who were guests of the museum stayed in Germany for two months to complete the task at hand.

‘It was a wonderful experience’, he enthused as he underscored the great honour he was able to bring to his land of birth.

A resident of Sapumal Place, Galle, Rajakaruna has so far sculptured Buddha statues which adorn 62 temples in the country. In addition, he also does paintings in temples and builds pandals during the Vesak and Poson seasons.

The Buddha statue he sculptured in Germany was four and a half feet in height and of equal width. The necessary material for the job came from that country itself.

‘I look forward to going back to that museum to do Sri Lanka proud once again’, he said.