Capturing the art of life

By Cheranka Mendis

The beauty of the world balances on a perfect combination of natural environment and the symmetry of man made architecture. It is the synchronising of the two aspects that brings to light a form of art in the world. Alone, the value of the two aspects might not account to much, but together they complement each other and bring out something special.

That is the thinking of Dr. Indrajit Senaviratne: a man who has grown up surrounded by colours and art has today taken upon himself the task of portraying this beauty to millions living worldwide. With a camera as his companion, Dr. Senaviratne is quick to capture with his lenses the places that interest him, not only for historical value but because of the balance of nature and architecture.

“It is about understanding the harmony that lies between architecture and nature. The rhythm, colour and space that binds these two aspects along with the play of light and dark is what makes it unique. The concepts mutually compliment each other. Architecture, ventilation, the lines and the colours make up the environment we live in today,” Senaviratne acknowledged.

Having held several successful exhibitions both here and abroad and preparing for the next, Senaviratne has been teaching photography for 25 years. Learning the skill 30 years ago at the National Photographic Art Society of Sri Lanka founded by the late Wilson Hegoda, Senaviratne has mastered the profession. “What catches my eye is scenic and the feature-like surroundings.” He went on to teach at the National Photographic Association for 15 years and held the title of Director of Education there as well. Now teaching photography through the National Youth Council as well as privately, he has a steady set of followers hanging on his words. He is also a visiting lecturer for public administration at local universities.

“This is more of a hobby driven by the passion for art,” he noted. “I must be grateful to my parents who have always surrounded us with every form of art from the time we were kids. My mother was an art teacher at St. Bridget’s Convent and Musaeus College while my father was the Assistant Commissioner of Archaeology and Architecture. Therefore, as children we were always exposed to arts and culture.”

Senaviratne expressed that his love for architecture was passed on by his father who has been involved in many state preservation projects such as preserving paintings on Sigiriya rock after it was splashed by tar, designing the stupa covering the old at Kiri Vehera in Anuradhapura among others.

“The first few of my photography exhibitions were on Sri Lankan ancient architecture and nature. The first exhibition was in 1997/1998. This was followed by approximately five exhibitions after.”

In 2005 Senaviratne photographs were showcased in Paris at the UN office there to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the universal franchise of Sri Lanka. Titled ‘Harmony’ the exhibition was an immense success. The exhibition he is working on now is on British architecture, he said. Based on a series of photographs captured while touring London in 2008 he hopes to draw attention to the similarities between the architecture in London and British influenced architecture in Sri Lanka.  

“Sri Lankan architecture has been influenced by many factors and many cultures. The first influences came from India and this is well reflected in the carvings, etc. in temples and kovil. We have had influences from the Middle East in the form of Muslim related architecture. Then came the Dutch, Portuguese and the British,” he noted. “Modern architecture is a combination of all of this.”

He noted that he saw many features that he could draw resemblance to structures back at home when in London. “It was fascinating for me and I studied the art and architecture well during a six month stay there. Their architecture is a combination of English, Roman and Gothic and the way they have structured the buildings were meaningful.” He commented that St. Paul’s Cathedral with its high roofs gave a feeling of prayers uttered there going straight to heaven. “They had thought about almost all possible aspects.”

An award winning photographer, recognised both locally and internationally, Senaviratne says his favourite places to photograph are the Watadageya in Polonnaruwa, Ruwanweliseya in Anuradhapura, Kau Diya Pokuna and Mihintale. “One person I admire is Geoffrey Bawa and his architecture. He, I think, was the best at mixing and matching the different cultural and architectural aspects with the beauty of nature,” he said.  

“Architecture and nature are what make life interesting. It is this that gives us inspiration, even unknowingly. Through my work I aim at capturing this and showcasing it so that the public will understand the importance of this balance.”