Mohan Sudusinghe’s ‘Art Goes On’ display At Giz

The walls of the GIZ Colombo Office down Jawatte Avenue will be transformed for six weeks in August and September when they play host to an exhibition of paintings by Mohan Sudusinghe. The exhibition which commenced earlier this week on August 11, will go on for a further six weeks.

Mohan Sudusinghe the artist, takes inspiration from his passion for dancing; much of his work follows the rhythmic movements of a dancer in motion. Using mixed media such as acrylic, wire, paper and gum, Mohan has carved for himself a unique style that defies definition. Entirely self taught, Mohan took up painting seriously in 2001 when he was forced to stay away from dance until a knee injury was healed. Mohan’s dance form feeds his imagination, and he draws from his experience as a professional dancer and choreographer of classical and contemporary oriental and western dance.

This will be Mohan’s second exhibition hosted by the GIZ, following an exhibition titled ‘Rhythmic Lines’ in 2005  which generated much enthusiasm and translated into the sale of many of the exhibits.  

Dr. Wilfried Liehr, Country Director of GIZ said, “We believe that offering our walls as a gallery space has mutual benefits. Artists like Mohan have an opportunity to exhibit their talent to our staff, our partners and many others who pass through the GIZ office while on the other hand; all of us working here may enjoy the beauty that adorns our walls. Our walls have played host to the talents of many artists over the years and you can regularly find us displaying the photographic talents of our own staff and consultants. Our patronage of the local arts stems from our belief in the intrinsic talents of Sri Lankan people whose creativity we are pleased to promote in any way possible.”

Colombo offers limited gallery space for artists and much of that space comes at a considerable price. GIZ provides its space absolutely free of charge in an effort to encourage local artistic talent and the work that has been displayed there has taken multiple forms, including wall mounted artwork, as well as traditional, modern, woodwork, rush and reed, and handloom items. Mohan’s wife Chamila, who handles the back end of organizing his exhibitions says, “For an artist, it is very encouraging to be offered wall space free of charge with no commissions expected on the sales of his work. I thank the GIZ for this wonderful opportunity and I look forward to the same success we had during Mohan’s first exhibition at GIZ in 2005.”

Mohan’s work has previously been exhibited at the Harold Pieris Gallery, Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Havelock Bungalow and the Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.